Changed Names
by FictionWriter91
Summary: Sequel to Deadly Games.Tara is reeling from her father's news and is unsure if she wants to know the truth, and it's affecting every aspect of her life. Sue and Jack are preparing for their upcoming wedding. Myles and Lucy are on the rocks. John and Charlie struggle to move on from their loss. Then, someone from the past starts terrorizing the gang. Will they win?
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N Okay, so here is my sequel to Deadly Games! Hope you enjoy. As always, leave me a review!)**

 _She was in the waiting room when her father came out to see her._

 _"I'm sorry, Bunny," he said. "She's not going to get better."_

 _"Why is this happening to us?" Tara demanded. "She doesn't deserve this!"_

 _"I know," he said. "I know."_

 _ **Flash forward six months.**_

 _"You'll be...all right," she was saying. Her voice was hoarse and barely a whisper. She looked at Tara and felt such sadness for leaving her and also for not telling her the truth._

 _"Don't go," Tara cried. She was clutching her mother's hand so hard._

 _"We can't live forever," she whispered._

 _"But you're not even thirty eight yet," Tara sobbed. "It's not fair."_

 _"I know. You gotta...you gotta take care...of...your father," she managed to say. "He needs you."_

 _"I need you," Tara told her._

 _"I know. I'm so sorry..."_

 _"Bunny?" Steve came in. He looked at his wife and knew the time was near. "Oh, honey." He knelt beside her on the other side. She gave him a knowing look, one that he returned. He knew it was up to him to tell Tara about her parents. The thought terrified him._

 _"I'll...miss...you," she whispered. Breathing was getting harder to do. So much harder. Every ragged breath was such an effort. Things were getting blurry._

 _"Mom?" Tara's voice was faraway now. "Mom!" Then there was nothing but pure bliss._

 **Now**

Tara opened her eyes. She was lying in her bed thinking about her mother. Well, her adopted mother she guessed. Since her father had dealt her that blow, she felt like she was stuck in a tunnel with no light in sight. Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the clock. Right on time. She swiped it to ignore. She still didn't feel like talking to her dad just yet. It had been a month since that fateful dinner. A month she knew she'd never get back and never forgive herself for if he died without her talking to him again. Bobby had tried to convince her to talk to him, but she just couldn't. What man keeps such a secret for almost thirty years? She barely registered the knocking on her door.

"Tara? You there?" Bobby's voice reached her. She had felt bad for putting off moving in with him. She knew if she forgave her father, she'd have to let him live with her until...until it happened. He understood. She padded downstairs to let him in.

"Hey," he said, giving her a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," she replied.

"Haven't really seen you at work," he noted.

"I took some time off," she explained. He nodded slowly.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Okay." They stood there looking at each other.

"You want a coffee?" she asked him finally.

"Sure," he agreed. At least she hadn't asked him to leave like the last two times when he had pressed the father issue. He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she prepared a coffee for both of them.

"How is everyone?" she asked him. She did miss the gang. She knew they were concerned. Bobby hadn't shared anything with them upon her request. They just knew she wasn't well, which she wasn't. In a way. She had spoken to Ted. He was fine with her taking a leave. He knew what was going on.

"They're good. D is D. Myles is all right. Lucy is going mad with all of us men there with just her. Jack is so over the moon with excitement that I don't think he realizes he's at work half the time," Bobby grinned. Tara laughed at this. He felt happy to see her smile.

"Good for him," she said.

"Two months to go," Bobby mused. "Gosh, it's hard to believe isn't it?"

"Yes and no," she answered. "It's about time for them to start a life together."

"I agree."

"So how are you doing?" she asked him.

"I'm fine. A little tired, but there's a cure for that," he winked. "It's called sleep."

"You're not sleeping well?"

"Yes and no," he echoed her.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not you. I think it's just a lot of pressure at work right now. It'll pass. It always does," he reassured her. He didn't mention that he had been going to Gambler's Anonymous meetings a little more frequently lately. He hated how the urge to gamble attacked him when he was stressed. Coping mechanism, his therapist had told him before. He believed it.

"As long as you're sure," she trailed off.

"I am," he promised. "Now, what can I do for you to help make you feel better?"

"I don't think there is anything," she said honestly. "I'm just...stuck."

"You need to get out of this apartment at least," Bobby said. "Staying in a place for days on end will make you go mad. Come on, let's go see a movie or something." She pondered this. It would be a nice change. He looked very hopeful, and she found it very cute.

"Okay," she agreed.

"All right!" he said, jumping up and clapping his hands. "Off we go."

"I get to pick," she said.

"Absolutely."

 **Jack & Sue**

They were sitting at his kitchen table perusing for ideas for their wedding. So far, things had been coming together nicely. Lucy was on the rampage for decorations, something she took very seriously. Sue was grateful for her friend's help. She was worried about Tara, but she didn't know how to approach her since nobody knew what was wrong. Bobby had advised everyone that she had just wanted to be left alone for now.

"What about this?" Jack asked, pointing to one of the flower arrangements in the book. Lucy called it the Wedding Bible.

"I like it," Sue agreed.

"Don't tell the guys I'm good at picking flowers," Jack warned her. "I'll never hear the end of it."

"I won't," she promised, chuckling. He really wouldn't.

"You pick out a dress yet?" he asked slyly.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," she replied vaguely. "You're to know nothing about it."

"All right, all right," he said. "Thought I could wrangle it out of you."

"You won't. You'll have to wait," she told him. He sighed dramatically in response, making her laugh.

"It's not fair. You know what I'm wearing," he complained.

"I don't make the rules," she said. He leaned in forward so that his lips were close to hers.

"So break them," he suggested. He was almost convincing. That and he made her go crazy inside whenever he was close to her.

"Not a chance," she whispered back, tapping his lips with her finger. She stood to go pour herself another coffee. Levi glanced up at her from the floor briefly. Lucy was in fact picking up The Dress today. Sue was waiting for the right moment to ask Lucy to be her maid of honor. She wanted Tara as a bridesmaid as well with Jane and Tess. She just wasn't sure if it was okay to ask Tara right now with whatever was going on. Jack was actually ahead of her on this one. Bobby was his best man with Myles, John, and Charlie to boot. D had declined, stating he'd rather watch than be in it. Sue felt a twinge that Billy wouldn't be there, but she didn't dwell on it at this point in time. He was watching elsewhere.

"Bobby might tell me what's going on," Jack said, reading her thoughts.

"I don't want to pry. If it's personal, she might not want us all knowing," Sue replied.

"I know you want her up there with you, and I know she'd probably want to. I'll see if they want to hang out soon," Jack offered. She nodded. It was worth a try.

 **John**

John was looking at photos of some thugs he was tracking. There was one photograph that kept grabbing his attention, and he wasn't sure why. He was peering at it when Jane tapped his shoulder, making him jump almost out of his seat.

"Dammit woman," he growled. "Must you do that?"

"It's fun," she replied airily. "Come on. The day is over. Let's go home."

"Do you see anything here?" John asked, handing her the photo. She gazed at it, surveying it.

"I see some shadows and our perp," she said. "What am I looking for?"

"Nevermind," John said, taking it back from her. She looked at him quizzically.

"What are you seeing?" she asked.

"Absolutely nothing," he reassured her. He looked at it again. Nothing was there. He stood and grabbed his coat. Jane walked out ahead of him. John was feeling a bit of happiness again lately since Billy's death. Everything wasn't just black and grey anymore. Some colors were coming back.

"Maddy at a friend's tonight?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Hmmm," he said, catching up to her and putting his arm around her. "I have an idea of what we could do then..."

"I already like it," Jane smiled, kissing him. It was going to be a good night.

 **Lucy**

"Why did you bring me if I'm not allowed to even see the dress?" Myles asked. They were driving to the bridal store.

"Because I need someone to protect me from dress stealers," Lucy replied. She also kind of wanted his company.

"Dress stealers?" Myles asked. "Really?"

"You never know," she said defensively. When they arrived, she was the first one out and skipping across the parking lot. She was very excited for her friend. Myles loped in behind her, feeling very out of place.

"So many...women," he said, looking around him. They were everywhere. He looked at his watch. Did everyone come right after work?

"It is a bridal store," Lucy scoffed. She rummaged through the racks to find the one Sue had picked out. They both were hoping to catch it on a sale.

"I got it! I got it!" she squealed. She pulled it out just as someone else reached for it. Myles stepped forward, sensing his presence was needed. The other woman glowered at him but backed off.

"Don't look!" Lucy ordered, trying to hide it.

"I can't see through the plastic anyway. Let's get out of here before we're eaten alive," Myles suggested. He escorted Lucy to the sales desk before anyone else could jump them for the dress. He reminded himself if he ever got married, he would rather stay out of this part of the business. Let the woman do what she wanted. He wouldn't care.

"Thanks for coming with me," Lucy said when they reached her place. She was sad in thinking it would soon just be her place and not hers and Sue's, but she knew that was going to end at some time.

"You're welcome," Myles responded. Lucy hopped out and took the dress with her. Their relationship hadn't really progressed forward, but it hadn't gone backward either. Myles wasn't sure where Lucy was at anymore. They hadn't discussed it in a while.

"Good night!" she called, waving. He waved back and pulled away. Maybe it was for the best things just stayed the way they were.

 **Tara**

"Thank you for getting me out," Tara said to Bobby at her front door. "I needed it desperately."

"Pleasure's all mine," he smiled. He kissed her gently. She realized what else she needed. She pulled him inside urgently. He took the hint. An hour later they were side by side while he curled up behind her. Tara felt a little happier, but her phone ringing killed it. She didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Yes. We're looking for Tara Williams," a lady said.

"This is she." Tara sat up. Bobby watched with his brow furrowed.

"I'm calling to inform you that your father is in critical condition here at the hospital. He keeps asking for you."

"Critical how?" Tara asked.

"He took a bad fall, and with his condition, recovery doesn't look promising."

"Oh," Tara swallowed. Bobby felt his gut twist.

"I'm just calling to inform you since you are his Power of Attorney," the lady went on.

"Okay. I'll...I'll be there soon," Tara said. She hung up.

"Bad?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied. She got up and got dressed. Bobby followed suit.

"I'll come with you," he said.

"Okay," she answered. She felt like a robot. This was a familiar territory for her, and she wasn't ready. They didn't say anything on the way to the hospital. When she found her father, she almost cried out. He looked so gaunt and haggard, and he was covered in bruises from his fall on his face and arms.

"Hi, Bun," Steve said, seeing her.

"What happened?" she asked, going over to him. Bobby hung back.

"Oh, took a little fall," he tried to smile.

"I can see that. You look terrible," she said.

"Oh, thanks. Look, I know you're mad at me..."

"I'm not, Dad. I'm just confused. I wasn't ready to hear it yet," Tara told him.

"I don't have much time," he said. "I need to tell you the story."

"Okay," Tara said, sitting down. "I'm listening."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I'm so glad this story is well received. I feel better about this chapter. I think I'm getting my groove back! Just an fyi: you might find the beginning of this chapter to be a little intense, so be warned.**

It is dark outside. Rain is lashing at the windows. The little girl is hiding behind a couch as the adults in her life are screaming at each other. She hears the smash of a beer bottle as it hits the wall. Then she hears the woman begging and pleading for her life. When the gunshot goes off, the girl cringes, forcing her fingers into her ears as far as they could go. The next gunshot goes off within moments, and all is quiet. Lights are soon flashing and people are in her face saying things she can't seem to understand. Then she's gone from there, and everything changes.

...

The girl is watching as the man, her new daddy, approaches her as she sleeps. He doesn't know she's awake, watching through slitted eyes. He has a look on his face that makes her tummy feel sick. She's not sure what's going to happen next. Then suddenly, her new mommy comes crashing into the room, screaming and crying and hurling accusations. Something about not again, not this time, and not with her. The daddy is defending himself, holding his hands up to show her that he's not doing anything wrong. The mommy doesn't believe him. She plunges the knife into his chest, and blood seeps all over her hands. The girl screams and screams while the mommy stares in shock at what she has done. The police are soon there to take the mommy away. The daddy is no longer moving and makes no sound. The girl knows he is dead.

...

There are other children at her new home this time. The girl connects with the other girl, and they play for hours all the time. The girl doesn't really notice that their mommy and daddy don't interact with them. One day, police come and take the mommy and daddy away, saying something about a grow op. The girl is very sad to leave. She was really going to miss her new sister friend.

...

The girl likes this home. The daddy and mommy seem to really care for her. She waves goodbye one night as they set off together, leaving her with a babysitter. When it comes to the time they're supposed to return for her, they don't. Instead, more police. Something about an accident and both died on scene. The girl feels anger, fear, and sadness grip her. She had really liked these new parents.

...

The girl feels a little more afraid when she is given to a new mommy and daddy again. The daddy bends down to her level and tells her that he'll never hurt her or leave her, that's she's finally home. Something in his voice makes her trust him, and she takes his hand. The mommy smiles and picks her up into her arms and spins her around and around and around...

...

Tara remembers it all as her father speaks. Steve looked pained as he reminded her of her early trauma.

"How did I forget?" Tara asked.

"The doctors said at your age, such trauma could be buried and suppressed. You were only four when we finally got you. You went through a lot in those few years with foster parents. We worried you'd be scarred from it, but..." Steve trailed off. He gestured to her to indicate she was fine.

"I can see it all so vividly now," Tara murmured. "So my real parents are both dead?" Bobby was sitting in the corner, listening. He was furious at all those people for hurting her. He hated that she endured so much pain. Steve cleared his throat uncomfortably at her question.

"Well? Aren't they?" she asked.

"Not exactly, no," Steve said. "Your mother was very young when she had you...very young. She gave you up for adoption when you were a baby." Tara sat up straighter.

"And my dad?"

"We don't know. We suspected maybe he wasn't in the picture or that she had gotten pregnant in a rather...nasty way," Steve finished. Tara understood what he meant. She hugged herself. Why was everything in her past so violent? Was that why she spent her life and career chasing after bad guys? To end the violence?

"Do you know where she is now?" Bobby asked Steve.

"No. I suspect you might be able to contact the adoption agency and request for your file, but I don't know if they'll give you her name," Steve sighed. "They certainly wouldn't give it to us. It was pulling teeth just to get them to say anything about her."

"You tried to find her?" Tara asked, surprised.

"Yes. Believe it or not, it was always our intention to tell you, but you seemed so happy with us that we decided to let it go. Why bother bringing up all that hurt and trauma again," Steve explained. "I do regret keeping it from you. I hope you believe that."

"I think I can," Tara said, nodding slowly. She truly believed Steve had her best interests at heart. She wondered what she would do herself in this type of situation.

"What is my real name?" she asked, thinking about it.

"As far as I know, it's always been Tara," Steve said. "She gave it to you."

"Oh," Tara said, feeling sad somehow.

"I'm so sorry, Bun," Steve said. "I never meant to hurt you."

"You've been more of a father to me than anyone," Tara said. "I couldn't have asked for better." Steve's eyes became wet at this. Tara got up and went over to hug him tightly. Bobby felt a little awkward just watching, but he was glad she had reconnected with Steve before it was too late.

"So, when are they letting you out of here?" Tara asked. "I've got set up for you to come stay with me."

"I'm not getting out of here, Tara," Steve said, using her actual name. He looked at her seriously until she finally understood.

"You mean...?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"No way," Tara said. "This can't be the end."

"Where there's a beginning, there's always an end," Steve said sadly. "The fall didn't help. We knew it could be any day, remember?"

"I'm not leaving you," Tara said, sitting down and grasping his hand tightly. "I'm staying here with you."

"You don't have to," Steve told her.

"I want to," she confirmed.

"I'll leave you guys to talk," Bobby said. He squeezed her shoulder as he passed. She gave him a grateful look. He knew she'd call him later. He left feeling a type of sadness that he didn't usually feel. There was just something so heartbreaking about watching a daughter lose her father like that.

 **Sue**

Billy was laughing with such abandon, head thrown back and eyes all scrunched up. She was looking around for the source, and she saw nothing. Was it something she had said? She tried to get to him, but he kept getting farther away the more she tried to reach him.

"Billy!" she called. He turned away from her, walking away. "Billy, wait!" Why wouldn't he wait? Then suddenly he was right in front of her, hands on her shoulders.

"I'm never truly gone," he said. "Remember that."

...

Sue awoke with a gasp. Billy's face burned in her mind when she closed her eyes. It had seemed so real. Levi whined and nuzzled her hand. She glanced over at the clock, and it said 3:02 in the morning. She fell backwards, pressing her hands against her face. The familiar burning sensation of tears began as always. It seemed every night she was having some kind of dream with Billy in it. This was the first time he had spoken, and it was unnerving. Sleep was impossible now, so she got up and headed to the kitchen. She tried to be quiet so as not to wake up Lucy, but as always, that failed.

"Another dream?" Lucy asked, sliding into the kitchen on her tired legs. She had worked out a little too hard the night before.

"I don't know why I keep dreaming about him," Sue admitted. "It's been a long time."

"You loved him. He's your brother. Of course he's going to be on your mind, and when he's on your mind, your subconscious makes you dream about him. Is it because your wedding is getting closer?" Lucy asked.

"Maybe. I wish I knew," Sue sighed. Lucy reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"I know you miss him," she said.

"I do. A lot," Sue said, becoming teary.

"I believe you will see him again," Lucy reassured her. "Just like I believe he will be watching you get married from where he is."

"I'm sure he will. He'll be nudging God and telling Him stories about me that he thinks are funny," Sue said, laughing a little.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Lucy asked.

"No. Thanks, Luce, but I think I'm just going to sit here for a bit," Sue said. Lucy patted her hand before standing up and going back to bed. Sue sat there with her chin resting on her hand, thinking about memories of her and her brothers. She smiled at the funny ones and choked up over the sad ones. She remembered when their grandmother died and Billy had never left her side the entire time. He had always been the one that understood her best. She wished she could have one more day with him, but she knew wishing that would be futile. She'd only be left wishing for one more day with him again. Eventually she grew very tired, and she went back to bed and slept without any further dreams. It was kind of a relief.

 **Bobby**

"You look rough," Jack said, setting a cup of coffee down in front of Bobby, who was sitting there staring at his screen. Tara's chair was glaringly empty, and he couldn't stop thinking about where she was right now and what she was experiencing.

"Yea well, things aren't so great, mate," Bobby sighed. Jack sat on the edge of his desk looking concerned.

"What do you mean? Are you and Tara...?" Jack couldn't finish.

"We're still together. Look, she wanted to keep this private, but I trust you. Her dad is dying. She's over there with him now at the hospital," Bobby explained.

"Oh, wow," Jack said. "I'm so sorry. That must be so hard." His mind flashed back to when Sue discovered her brother had died there.

"It is. I want to be there with her, but I feel like she needs to be alone with him, you know? It's a hard call," Bobby finished.

"Just let her know you're there to support her when she needs you. You're probably right in that she needs this time with her dad," Jack agreed.

"I liked him," Bobby said. "I really did."

"I know," Jack said, patting Bobby's shoulder.

"Okay, gang," D said, entering the bullpen. "We've got a case."

 **Somewhere in D.C.**

She spent her life dedicated to helping others the way others had helped her. Today, she was at the local soup kitchen dishing out food to the homeless. She didn't make much money, but she felt she didn't need it. She was humbled. This was her life, and she fully accepted it. Not too important for those to take notice, and not too un-important that she disappeared off the radar. She was a happy medium.

"Hello, beautiful," a man said to her. He grinned at her with his bright teeth. She always wondered how he kept them so nice looking.

"Hello, Jonah," she smiled back. "How are you today?"

"Just dandy," Jonah winked. "What's the special today?"

"French Onion with pork roast," she told him.

"Load me up," he said, gesturing. She obliged, and he flashed her another smile before going to sit down. She loved Jonah. He seemed different from the other homeless people. In fact, she almost believed he didn't have to be homeless, that he chose to be for some reason she'd never know of. It was fine with her. She wasn't here to get too close to these people. Getting close to people ended up in getting hurt because they either died or disappeared, leaving a hole in her heart where they had taken root. She smiled as she watched Jonah talk and laugh with the other men. He was special. She just wished she could know why.

 **Tara**

"Hey." Tara opened her eyes to see Bobby standing there. He was holding flowers.

"Hi," she said. "What are those?"

"These are what they call flowers. I've been told they can sometimes brighten a dull hospital room," Bobby explained, smiling a little. Tara gave a small laugh.

"Set them over there," she gestured. No one else had sent any, but then again, Steve didn't have much family left or around that cared.

"How are you?" Bobby asked. She stood and embraced him, burying her face into his shoulder. Steve was sleeping, and he spent most of his days doing just that. She knew the end was nearing. It was killing her.

"I just hate seeing him waste away," she whispered. Bobby smoothed her hair with his hand.

"I know," he said. "I know."

Tara just let him hold her. There wasn't much else to say. What could you say when your father was slowly slipping away in front of your eyes? She dreaded what was to come. She wished she hadn't wasted the last month avoiding him. She could wish it all she wanted, but it wouldn't change, she knew that. She was there now, that was all that mattered.

 **John**

The adrenaline was rushing through his veins. He ran with all his might, chasing after their suspect. Charlie was right behind them. He could hear Jane in his ear giving directions of where the punk was running. John made a gesture to Charlie to indicate he was going to cut the kid off. Charlie shot into the other direction, seeing the signal. Within moments, John had thrust his arm out, stopping the kid in his tracks and flipping him right over. The kid was lying on the ground coughing and choking from John's arm catching his throat. John stooped down to haul the kid up to handcuff him.

"Running only makes me madder," John told him. Charlie finally got there, huffing and puffing.

"Good job, bro," John said, grinning. Charlie just shook his head. John was always the fastest out of them all. He knew that. When they arrived back at the office, John received high fives all around. The kid had been on their list for months. He was a well known drug dealer and pimp. He was borderline into things that he shouldn't have dabbled in, but now he would spend a long time behind bars. John briefly thought about Jessie since the kid was roughly around the same age, but he let it go quickly.

"Good job, babe," Jane said, hugging him.

"Couldn't do it without you," he winked. He glanced over at Sue, who was at her desk looking frazzled and tired. He went over to her and got her attention.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I was going to ask you the same question," John said.

"I'm just tired. I'm all right," she replied. She went back to her work. John knew she was lying. If she was like him, she'd be having dreams and nightmares with Billy in them. There were some nights he was afraid to sleep because he knew he'd see Billy on the ground covered in blood again. At least she hadn't seen that and remembered it every single day of her life.

"Charlie, my man," John said. "Better luck next time."

"I run at the gym every day for forty minutes," Charlie said. "How the hell do you keep beating me?"

"Who knows?" John shrugged. He had always been fast. It had irked Billy to no end. He sat at his desk, looking at the last photo of the four of them their mother had taken around Christmastime. She had made them wear silly Christmas sweaters and other paraphernalia. One of Billy's reindeer antlers were bent down in his face because they were broken. He was laughing about that in the photo. John forced himself to look away.

"Maddy wants to know if you're going to teach her to drive tonight," Jane said to him. Maddy had just turned 16 and had received her learner's permit. John hoped she didn't inherit his driving skills, not that that was possible since she wasn't biologically his. She was very observant though, and he believed she picked up on his bad habits through observation.

"I can do that," he agreed. Father-daughter time. He couldn't wait.

 **Jack**

Jack found Sue at their diner, and he sat down across from her. She looked up and smiled at him. He noticed immediately that she was tired.

"More dreams?" he asked.

"Yea. I'm fine," she added.

"I know," he nodded. "What do you want to do tonight?"

"I just want to be with you," she said.

"Okay," he smiled. That was something he could do. He loved spending time with her. They had a quick dinner together before setting off for a walk. He wished he could take her mind off of her brother, but he knew it was still fresh in her mind. He only hoped that eventually it would not be as sharp for her. He didn't like to see her upset or unhappy.

"I love you, Jack," she said suddenly. He stopped and kissed her soundly.

"I love you too," he said after. She smiled at him. It was something she never tired of reading on his lips.

 **Bobby**

His phone wailed in the darkness. He scrabbled for it, dropping it once before finally answering it.

"Hello?" he said in a croaky voice.

"Bobby?" Tara said. He sat up straight. He knew.

"Yea?"

"He's gone. Dad's gone," she cried.

"I'll be right there," he said. They hung up and he leaped out of bed, getting dressed. He wasn't sure what to say to her, but he knew he could at least be there for her. He loved Tara, and he was going to dedicate the rest of his life to make sure she never got hurt again.

 **I wonder how many of you are referring back to my last story right now ;) As always, let me know your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all again for the continued lovely reviews! Enjoy :)**

He hadn't wanted a funeral. Tara wasn't sure how she was going to ever get closure, but she respected his wishes. She had hunkered in her apartment for days afterwards, and the only person who was allowed in was Bobby. The others were very worried about her, and it was all Bobby could do to keep them from breaking down her door and seeing her for themselves. She was currently lying sprawled on her bed staring at the ceiling and wondering just what her purpose was here on Earth after all. Her dad was everything, and without him, she felt like nothing. When her phone rang, she ignored it. She was getting very good at ignoring everything and everyone. Except Bobby. He was an exception.

"Hey," he said, coming in. She had forgotten that she had given him a key. He sat down next to her head and stroked her hair.

"Do they all hate me?" she whispered.

"No," he replied. "They understand. They just want to be there for you, that's all."

"I'm just not ready," she told him.

"I know."

"Why is this happening to me?" she asked suddenly.

"I'm not sure," he answered, unsure of what else to say. She sat up and swiveled to face him, knees touching his.

"I've got no family left," she started. "None. I'm alone here on this miserable planet, and when I die, there will be no one to remember me."

"One, you're not alone," Bobby said, taking her hand. "I'm here. I'm always here. And two, you've touched many lives in your job; you will be remembered."

"It's not the same as having a daughter or son to keep the legacy alive when I'm gone," she muttered.

"Three," Bobby continued as if he hadn't heard her. "You do have family left."

"Oh right," she said sarcastically. "A mother who abandoned me as a baby and sent me into the arms of hell four times over before finding my true family."

"What if she was just a kid herself?" Bobby asked. "Maybe she thought you had a better chance without her."

"That's bull and you know it," she scoffed.

"How would know unless you asked?"

"And how would I even ask? Dad pretty much said they wouldn't give him any information about her. What chances do I have?" she demanded.

"You're with the freaking FBI, Tara. You've got more leverage," Bobby pointed out. She stared at him for a moment.

"You are so right," she said. "Why didn't I realize that?" Bobby shrugged. She climbed out of bed and changed hastily.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Going to Dad's house. There's got to be some kind of clue there before I start investigating," she said. "You coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it," he replied, following her. He was just glad to see her leave the apartment.

 **Charlie**

He was out running, trying to get more in shape. It was something he had started since Billy had died. He wished he had done it with his fallen brother, but wishing for the clock to turn back was pointless. You had to focus on the now.

"Care for a buddy?" John asked, coming into his view and scaring the wits out of him.

"Geez, man!" Charlie yelped, clutching his heart. John laughed as he jogged easily. No huffing or puffing for him.

"You're improving," John noticed.

"How do you run without breaking a sweat?" Charlie demanded. John was currently jogging backwards and doing circles around him, laughing still.

"I dunno. Maybe I'm an alien," John joked.

"You're some kind of freak," Charlie agreed. John sped up, making Charlie push hard. His muscles were screaming at him to slow down or stop. Preferably stop, but Charlie wasn't about to do that.

"How's Tess?" John asked casually as though they were merely strolling.

"She's...fine...tired...but...fine," Charlie gasped between breaths.

"Don't have a heart attack on me," John warned. "I'll kill you. I can't be all the Thomas boys you know. I'm only one man."

"Ha...ha," Charlie wheezed. John slowed down immensely, making Charlie stop and almost pitch forward from exhaustion. He patted his brother's shoulder.

"Next time," John said. "Come on, let's get some water." They headed inside of a nearby cafe, John making sure Charlie didn't fall over from his weak legs. Neither of them noticed that they were being watched.

 **Myles**

He was at home watching football when his phone vibrated. He checked it, seeing a message from Lucy.

 **Movie?**

He looked at for a moment before setting it down without replying. He wasn't sure what to do anymore with Lucy. He had stopped asking if they were ever going to move forward, and she wasn't bringing it up. He figured she either didn't know herself or she didn't have the heart to just tell him it wasn't going to work out after all.

 **Lucy**

She had shown up at Myles' to surprise him and decided to text anyway. She watched as Myles looked at her message and then set his phone down without answering. She stood outside his window feeling hurt. Why wasn't he answering? She was going to text again when she changed her mind. If he didn't want to see her or talk to her, he should just say so. She got back into her car and drove away. She wasn't sure what she was even going to say to him the next time they saw each other.

 **Sue & Jack**

They were dozing on the couch at Sue's apartment when Levi started growling and pawed at Sue's leg. Jack was awake instantly while Sue came to a little more slowly.

"What's going on?" she asked, noticing Jack looked concerned. He stood up and inched to the door. Levi trotted over with him and kept growling.

"Stay there," he signed to Sue. Levi started pacing and whining, then barking.

"Levi, come here," Sue called in a whisper. Levi ignored her. Jack felt worried. Whatever was outside, Levi certainly did not like it. He looked over to where his gun was sitting on the counter with his wallet and keys. It seemed so far away. Sue noticed him looking in that direction, so she grabbed it and brought it to him. She hid behind him while he listened hard. There were definite footsteps before they faded away. Jack opened the door and stuck his gun out before his head. He looked up and down the hallway, but there was nothing. Then he noticed the note on the door. He pulled it off the wood and looked at it.

"What is it?" Sue asked. He turned it so she could see it. She read it. They looked at each other.

It said: **Found You ;)**

 **Tara & Bobby**

She was ransacking. There had to be something somewhere. Bobby was trying to help, but he felt strange going through a dead man's things.

"You're making this messier for when you have to box it all up," he pointed out.

"I'll deal with it then," she muttered. She gave up and headed for his office. She wasn't sure why she hadn't thought to start there in the first place. She dug into his drawers until she came across a big envelope that read "Confidential." She picked it up gingerly, looking at it.

"Is that it?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know," she admitted. She looked at him, wanting confirmation that it was okay to open it.

"I think it's okay. He would have wanted you to," Bobby nodded. She cracked the envelope and peeked in. A picture of herself as a toddler stuck out right away. She slid it all out onto the desk and spread it out like a fan.

"You were such a cutie," Bobby whistled, picking up her picture and looking at it.

"I think that was taken before my life went to hell," she said, looking through the documents. He held it up next to her face, comparing.

"You look the same," he said after a moment.

"I found it," she said at the same time. He looked over her shoulder at the form she was holding.

"Is that her name?" he asked. Her hands were shaking a little.

"I think so," she nodded.

"Amy," Bobby read.

"No last name? Can they do that?" she asked, frustrated.

"I think you're lucky you even got a first name," Bobby replied. She flipped through the other documents. She held up another one.

"Reason for adoption: Unwanted," she read. She paused then. Unwanted?

"That's harsh," Bobby said. "Maybe they didn't have one for 'I love her but I can't keep her' back then."

"Unwanted," she repeated. "She didn't want me. Why am I trying to find her then?" She dropped the papers she was holding.

"Because it's your last living relative?" Bobby suggested.

"Unwanted," she said again a little more shrill.

"Hey, hey," he said, grabbing her shoulders. "She was young. See? 15. Says so right here. When you were 15, would you have wanted a baby?"

"No, but I would have done the responsible thing and kept it because it was the right thing to do," she snapped.

"You don't know how you were conceived," Bobby said gently. "Maybe she could have made an even worse decision but instead gave you up for adoption."

"Stick up for her why don't you?" Tara said angrily.

"I'm not. I'm just trying to get you to see her side, if that's what happened," Bobby added.

"I will stay 'unwanted' forever. She doesn't deserve me," Tara said, walking away. Bobby picked up the papers and tucked them into his coat. He had a feeling she'd change her mind. He also wanted to try and find her just to see.

 **John & Charlie**

"All I'm saying is you gotta pace yourself properly," John was saying to Charlie as they exited the cafe. Charlie went to make a retort back when a bullet whizzed by their heads. Passerbys screamed and ducked for cover. John shoved Charlie back inside roughly and grabbed his phone to call for backup. He hid behind the table and chairs out front of the cafe.

"This is Agent Thomas," he said into it as more shots went off. One pinged off the metal chair beside him. "We need backup. Sending you our location." He rattled off where they were. He wished he had his gun. Bad time to be caught without it.

"Do you see him?" Charlie asked, trying to see.

"No," John replied. He searched all over, but he couldn't see the gunman. Then it stopped as fast as it had started. John peeked around to see a man on foot running with another man chasing after him.

"Come on!" John shouted, taking off in pursuit. Charlie was right behind him. John admired the speed of these men. He wondered if they were working together. When they rounded the corner, both men were gone. They stopped abruptly.

"Where did they go?" Charlie asked.

"No idea," John replied absently. He spun around, looking. Sirens were sounding in the distance.

"We better go make a report," Charlie said, tapping John's shoulder.

"Yea," John echoed. He felt suspicious of this whole event. He charged back to the cafe full of purpose. Police and EMS were there taking statements. Charlie was giving his as well.

"You good?" an officer asked John, who nodded. He gave a brief statement of what happened. It didn't take long for his phone to ring.

"They're saying on the news there was a shooting," Jane said in his ear. "Where are you?"

"At the scene," he said. He explained what happened. She was upset like he predicted.

"Come home," she ordered.

"We're on our way," he promised. He hung up and went over to Charlie and hugged him tightly. It had been a close call. He wasn't sure how he would have handled losing another brother.

"Let's go home," he said. Charlie nodded. He was still shaking inside from the incident. The more pressing thing on his mind was who was the shooter and would it happen again?

 **Dimitrius**

He had gotten the call from Jack about the note. He ordered them all to come to the office, including Sue. He couldn't get a hold of Myles though. He kept trying while everyone piled in one by one.

"Tara, I'm so sorry," Lucy said, hugging her tightly. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Not really," Tara replied. "I'm still in shock."

"We miss you," Sue said, hugging her as well.

"What's happened?" Bobby asked Jack, who explained everything and showed him the note.

"Anyone seen or heard from Myles this evening?" D asked. Lucy shifted uncomfortably.

"Not me," Bobby said. "I was with Tara at...somewhere." He was relieved no one pressed the issue. Jack and Sue shook their heads too.

"Lucy?" D prompted.

"I texted but he didn't answer me," she said somewhat truthfully. She didn't want to embarrass herself or Myles by what had really happened.

"Okay," D said. "I will go check on him with a team. You all stay here. We need to figure out who's targeting all of us."

"Not just us," Sue said suddenly, looking at her phone. "Apparently John and Charlie were shot at earlier while they were out running."

"Really," D said, looking grave. His worst fears were becoming more real.

"Are they all right?" Lucy asked, concerned.

"Seem to be. Shaken up though," Sue added.

"We'll discuss living arrangements when I get back," D said.

"This can't be good if he's bringing that up," Jack muttered. Bobby nodded in agreement.

"Where do you suppose Myles is?" he asked. Jack shrugged. Lucy felt her insides start to hurt. She was beating herself up for not just knocking on his door now.

"This isn't going to postpone your wedding is it?" Tara asked, worried.

"I think we can solve it before then," Jack reassured her, putting his arm around Sue. "It is two months away." They chatted about other stuff before D called Jack. His face grew dark as the conversation went on. Lucy felt even more sick. Jack hung up slowly and looked at everyone.

"What?" Bobby asked. "Jack, spit it out."

"Myles is missing," Jack said. "His house was ransacked and broken into. D has no idea where he could be at this moment."

"No!" Lucy gasped. She clutched Tara's hand hard.

"It's Jessie," Jack said suddenly.

"You think so?" Bobby asked.

"I do. He was in tight with some pretty big bads," Jack replied. "It's the only thing that makes sense with all of us being targeted, including your brothers." Sue was very worried now.

"So what do we do now?" Tara asked.

"We wait for D," Bobby answered. Truth be told, he didn't really know what to do now either.

 **Myles**

Myles had been watching football when his door came crashing into his living room. He had leaped to his feet and bolted to the back door without even seeing who was breaking into his home. He knew he was being chased. He hurried down an alleyway when he felt the bullet rip through his back. He fell hard, crashing and rolling to the ground. He waited for the kill shot, but it never came. He decided to lie very still and hoped nobody would think twice that he wasn't dead. He wasn't sure how long he was lying there when someone approached him.

"Are y'all right?" the voice asked. Myles felt hands probing him gently.

"It hurts," Myles responded. He turned his head to see a homeless man staring back at him.

"You need a 'ospital," the man said.

"Most definitely," Myles agreed.

"I'll help ya," he said. He helped Myles get up carefully and let him lean on him.

"Who are you?" Myles asked, feeling woozy.

"Jonah," the man replied. "Pleased to meet you. Would have been nicer in better circumstances though eh?"

"Yea," Myles muttered. He vaguely thought the name Jonah was familiar to him, but he couldn't think why that was. Everything was feeling fuzzy. He heard Jonah hail a cab and felt himself being put into it. They rode to the hospital together at full speed as the cabbie was anxious to not have someone die in his cab. Myles remembered seeing the entrance to the hospital, but that was all. Everything had turned to black.

 **Elsewhere**

Freedom. It tasted so great. He couldn't remember feeling so alive. It had been a close call today, but he was pretty sure his message was received. It was time to start phase two. Things were gonna get personal the way they had been against him. Revenge was his middle name, and this time, he was prepared.

 **Sorry it's a dark chapter. Please keep reading and reviewing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all again for your wonderful reviews! I've got a real busy few weeks ahead of me, so bear with me if I don't post for a bit.**

"Where do you think Myles would go?" Lucy asked. She hated herself for not forcing that conversation on him earlier about ignoring her. Perhaps they would have sorted things out and not been at home when this happened. Dimitrius had returned looking grave. He was now standing there staring at a paper in his hands, unsure of what to do with it.

"I'm not sure," D finally said. He looked up. "What do you make of this?" He held up the paper. It was a photo of the Joker from Batman pointing with his face full of cruel laughter.

"He's calling us jokers?" Bobby asked. This guy was starting to piss him off.

"You still have your note?" D asked Jack.

"Yea," Jack replied. He dug into his pocket and pulled it out in its baggie. "I thought maybe you'd want it for prints."

"My team is so smart," D grinned. He took it from Jack and kept it with the photo. He'd send it off to check for prints in a moment. He went grim again thinking about Myles.

"Maybe we should call hospitals?" Tara suggested.

"You had to go there didn't you?" Lucy said. She regretted her tone as soon as the words came out. Tara looked hurt. Bobby went up beside her and pulled her into a side hug.

"It was just a suggestion, Luce," he said.

"I'm sorry. I'm just on edge," Lucy told them. "I really don't want to think about him being hurt."

"Neither do we, but it's a valid suggestion, and I'm on it," D said. He left with the papers to drop them off while he made the calls. Tara went to sit at her desk. She needed to think. Her brain was still whirling about what her birth mom had said about her that she could barely focus on much else.

"How are you holding up?" Jack asked Sue. She was sitting at her old desk with Levi at her feet. Everything was overwhelming for her right now. She wasn't really sure what else to say.

"I'm okay," she replied finally. Jack went over to her and put his arm around her, kissing the side of her head.

"What the bloody hell?!" John said, charging into the bullpen. Sue stood up quickly.

"John!" She hurried over to him and hugged him.

"I'm all right," he said gruffly. "Do any of you know what's going on?"

"Not at this moment," Bobby told him.

"Myles is missing," Jack chimed in. John stared in disbelief.

"What are you all doing here then?" he asked. "I'd be going out to look for my man."

"We will be. We were told to stay put," Jack said defensively.

"You wouldn't last long on my team," John said. "I encourage rebelling against the rules."

"Hey, we're waiting to figure out what's happened before we all go running about and get shot at some more," Bobby said angrily. "So lay off!" John looked like he wanted to say more, but Sue tugged at his arm.

"Where is Jane and Maddy?" she asked. "And Charlie and Tess?"

"They're at a safe house. I came to help. I will not stand around and let this asshole put me into hiding," John growled.

"Ah, you're here," D said, returning. "Good. You can help look for Myles."

"No luck with the hospitals?" Lucy asked.

"No. He hasn't come in, so let's take that as a possible good sign," D said.

"Or else he's been snatched," John muttered.

"Let's not go there yet," D suggested.

"Trace his phone. I know you can do that stuff," John said, crossing his arms. D paused. Then he looked to Tara. She nodded and switched on her computer. Bobby watched as her fingers blurred across the keys and she pulled up a screen that showed a blinking red dot sitting stationary on the street over from where Myles lived. She felt her heart stop. If it wasn't moving, that wasn't a good sign.

"D," she said, gesturing. He came over to look. Then he stood up straight.

"John," he said. "You're coming with me."

"Ready player one," John said, loading his pistol loudly.

"We're going too," Bobby said.

"One of you has to stay with the girls," D said.

"I'll stay," Jack offered. He knew that despite their rivalry and constant poking at each other, Bobby had a soft spot for Myles. He also wanted to stay with Sue as she was looking rather distressed.

"We're not helpless," Tara said once they were gone.

"I know that," Jack said. "It's just to make him feel better."

 **Myles**

He opened his eyes, feeling woozy. He wasn't sure where he was. He lifted his head slowly, but the dizziness made him set it back down again. He felt like he was going to vomit.

"How's our patient?" a woman asked. She hovered over him. "Quite the nasty shot you took there."

"Who're you?" Myles managed to ask.

"Not important," she dismissed. "Jonah here got you here in the nick of time." She checked his IV and vitals.

"I'm at the hospital?" Myles asked.

"Mmmm, not quite," the woman said, shifting uncomfortably.

"But...I saw..."

"Yea, well, when Jonah ran in to get help, panicked and told the cabbie to bring you here instead," she explained. "He doesn't do public very well."

"So I'm in some underground hospital?" Myles tried to joke.

"Something like that," she smiled. "I really am a nurse. Among other things."

"Ah. A multitasker. My kind of woman," Myles snickered. He felt like laughing for no reason. "What am I on?"

"Some painkillers. You're also coming off of the anesthetic I had put in you to knock you out. Had to get that bullet out," she added.

"Okay good. I'm not usually so weird," Myles laughed. She smiled. She went to leave when he called out after her.

"Yes?" she asked.

"What's your name?"

"Like I said, it's not important," she winked.

"She likes to be anonymous," Jonah said, stepping out of the shadows.

"Aarrghh!" Myles shouted, frightened. "Were you there the whole time?"

"Yup. Sorry. She said I had to be quiet. I figured since you're awake and all I could talk again," Jonah shrugged.

"Why did you bring me here?" Myles demanded. "What was wrong with the hospital?"

"They were looking at me funny. I didn't like it," Jonah reasoned.

"So now I'm in some underground hospital?" Myles asked.

"I guess you could say that," Jonah mused. "Never thought of this as being underground though."

"Trust me, it is one," Myles sighed.

"Jonah!" the woman called. "Leave him alone!"

"That's my cue to leave," Jonah said. He waved goodbye as Myles closed his eyes and fell back into sleep.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Amy," Jonah said to the woman as he entered her kitchen. She was making coffee.

"He really should have gone to a proper hospital, Jonah," she scolded. "And don't say my name out loud. It's best he doesn't know. He's FBI after all."

"He is?" Jonah asked, astonished. "How did you...?"

"Found his badge inside his coat when I took it off," Amy shrugged. "I don't need the FBI crashing into my home and arresting me for practising nursing in my home."

"But you are a nurse, right?" Jonah asked, concerned.

"Oh yes. I just needed a career change," Amy replied. She needed a life change. There were some ghosts in her past that she couldn't seem to run away from. She had spent her whole time looking for the person who had wrecked her life. It was the reason she got into nursing because that was the world he belonged to as a doctor. When he had shown up at her hospital, she thought she had it all figured out what she was going to say to him, to confront him about what he'd done to her, but it never happened. She ended up running away and hiding amongst homeless people and acting like an invisible person. Seeing him had brought it all back, and he had damn well known it. He even had the nerve to bring it up and mock the whole thing, which sent her into a depression she thought she'd never get back out of. It was one thing for a man to mock a one night stand, but it was another to mock a situation where there had been no consent whatsoever.

"You seem like you've got some haunts, Amy," Jonah said, watching her carefully. She looked up at him cautiously. Jonah was the only other person she could trust. She had debated telling him about her parents, how they died when she was 14 and thus weren't there when she went through major trauma at 15 and the consequences that came after it. She had been taken in by her mother's best friend, who was also a nurse. It was the other reason she went into nursing. Sadly, Amy lost this woman as well to cancer. Amy had almost let herself completely fall in love with a man, but he was tragically taken from her by a car accident a week after they had braved to tell each other they loved one another. Amy had decided then that she wouldn't allow herself to be close to anyone else ever again. The heartache when it was over was too much for her heart to take.

"I have a past, Jonah," Amy said slowly. "Just like I'm sure you do. When you're ready to tell me why you decide to live as a homeless person, I'll tell you about me."

"Deal," Jonah said, shaking her hand. He wasn't ready to tell his story yet. He figured she knew that already and that was why she made the deal to begin with.

"Sugar?" Amy asked, gesturing to the cup of coffee she had just poured.

"Yes please," Jonah grinned.

 **Bobby/Dimitrius/John**

"You're there," Tara said in his ear. Bobby signaled for the others to stop. John knelt down and picked up the cell phone. It was cracked. Something else caught his eye.

"Blood," he told D, pointing. D looked pained suddenly.

"I'll call you back," Bobby said to Tara. He hung up, not wanting her to hear.

"It's not enough to say he bled out here," John said. "But he was definitely shot here."

"So where is he now?" Bobby asked. "Did he take himself to the hospital?"

"Lucy?" D said into his phone. "Try the hospitals again. Yea, there's evidence he was hurt. I'm sorry." He hung up feeling ill.

"Are you thinking..." John started. The rustling stopped him short. He whipped around, cocking his gun. The raccoon made a kind of squeaking noise in return.

"Killer raccoon 1, John 0," Bobby sniggered.

"Shut up," John growled. He was on high alert since that afternoon. He figured Bobby would be too if he had been shot at once today already. They continued to scan the alleyway for more clues.

"We've got burned rubber here," Bobby called.

"Someone pulled out of here in a hurry," D nodded. "Good work. I'll call the crime unit to start collecting evidence." John had a better idea. He went over to the house across the alley and knocked on the door.

"John!" D called. "What are you doing?!"

"Hello?" a woman asked, answering the door.

"Hi. I'm Agent Thomas. We're investigating a situation across from your house. I was hoping maybe you saw something?" John asked. She stood there looking stunned.

"N-no I didn't see anything. I've been in the basement all night painting," she said. "I'm sorry."

"I saw a man," a little voice said behind her. The woman turned to reveal a small boy holding a teddy bear.

"You did?" John asked, kneeling down to his level. "What did the man look like?"

"He was black," the boy nodded solemnly. "He was helping another man into a cab."

"It's African American, sweetie," the woman corrected.

"That's all right," John said. "Good work. Was the other man white?"

"Yea," the boy replied. "He looked hurt."

"You've been a very big help, young man," John said, holding out his hand for the boy to shake, which he did. "I just might recommend you to Homeland Security when you're old enough." The boy giggled as John winked at him. He turned and left, crossing the street in a few quick steps.

"What did you find out?" D asked.

"That a black man helped a white man into a cab right here," John said. "And the white man looked hurt. Gotta be our man, Myles."

"Who's the other guy?" Bobby wondered.

"We won't know for sure until we find surveillance," John said. "But at least we now have a lead." He looked down the street, spotting a camera mounted on a building wall.

"We can also start with that camera right there," he pointed. D and Bobby followed his finger, and felt relief. If they could get the cab on camera, then they could find where it had gone.

 **Jessie**

"Hey man, you get 'em?" the huge mountain of a man said to him. Jessie high fived him in return. It was so good to be free.

"I scared 'em but good. It's time to take it to the next level," he replied. He sat down and propped his legs, crossing them.

"So how did you get out anyway?" the other guy asked, cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Swapped with a dead man," Jessie shrugged. "They're not all that smart in there you know, or observant."

"You're a genius, man," the second guy said, laughing. He tapped his cigarette. Jessie leaned back in his chair, reveling in his grand escape. Bruce and Hugo were old friends of the family. He had known where to find them. Hugo was appropriately named. He stood at almost six foot six and 280 pounds. Bruce was less than half of Hugo's size and height. They made quite the pair, but Jessie didn't care. He only cared to be safe from the authorities, and these guys were very good at succeeding in just that. They also had access to guns. He was all set.

 **Bobby & Tara**

Bobby made his way back to Tara, leaving John to call Jane and dive into the whole surveillance thing. He needed to see Tara and make sure she was okay. She was still reeling from the words of "Unwanted" when this whole thing happened.

"Hey," he said, finding her in the hall with her back against the wall.

"Hi," she said. He stopped in front of her.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I will be when this jerk gets put away or killed," Tara said. "I don't even care which anymore."

"I understand," he said, pulling her into a hug. "How are you holding up with the, uh, other thing."

"The whole I was unwanted by my mother thing? Just fine," Tara answered.

"I seriously doubt that," he said.

"I'm really trying to not think about it right now," Tara told him. "It's not helping."

"Okay. We'll talk about it later then," Bobby agreed.

"Or maybe never," Tara added. They stood there looking at each other until John's voice reached their ears.

"Guys? We got 'im," John said.

 **Lucy**

Lucy was pacing back and forth. She was glad they had found where Myles was taken, but she was scared what may have happened to him there. The men left to go rescue him, and she stayed behind with the others.

"He'll be okay, Luce," Sue said reassuringly.

"I hope so. I'll never forgive myself if..." Lucy trailed off. She felt tears well up again.

"He'll be right as rain, and then you can kick his butt for not answering your text," Tara said, trying to get Lucy to smile. Lucy had told Tara and Sue what had happened earlier. Neither of them were sure what to make of it.

"You guys are really tight, huh?" Jane asked, watching.

"We're family," Tara replied. She felt her own throat tighten at this. She looked at her friends. They were her family. Maybe she didn't need her birth mother in her life at all. These wonderful people were truly enough to complete her.

"They're going in," Jane commented, watching the screen. The others didn't go watch. They wanted to see Myles in person rather than on a screen. Lucy prayed and prayed that he would be all right. She needed a chance to talk to him. She needed him.

 **I apologize if this story seems dark. It's the darkest before dawn; the shadow proves the sunshine :) The dawn and sunshine is coming I promise! But there will still be a lot of mystery ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the lovely reviews! And thanks for being patient for my next update. I had a crazy week last week so didn't get a chance to write another chapter until today. I hope you enjoy!**

Amy heard the sirens long before she saw them. She clattered down the stairs to get Jonah. He was sitting there talking to Myles.

"We gotta go," Amy said.

"This is where we part ways," Jonah said, nodding to Myles.

"You're gonna be fine," Amy said to Myles. "Sorry we gotta split."

"If you're legit, there won't be a problem," Myles said. "If you run, it makes you look guilty."

"Sorry. I don't feel like being in a cell for days on end while you make that decision," Amy said. "Let's go!" Jonah followed her up the stairs where she grabbed her purse and bolted out the back door. She had parked in the alley behind the house. It wasn't actually her real home. It was her mother's best friend's house, and when she had died, Amy didn't have the heart to sell it. So there it sat. Until tonight. Amy had been very careful to keep gloves on at all times. She hoped Jonah had as well. She had sterilized everything as she went along. As a nurse, she knew what to use.

"He's gonna recognize us," Jonah said. "We should have just stayed."

"Can't take that chance," Amy replied. She threw the car into drive and sped away. The law hadn't been helpful to her after her attack, and the man was walking around as a doctor. A bloody doctor. She'd rather not face the law ever again, especially after fixing up one of their own agents outside of a sterile hospital room. Jonah looked behind them as the lights flashed, illuminating the sky above where the house was. He knew Myles was in good hands.

 **Bobby**

He had seen the car drive off. He hadn't arrived with lights flashing because he had a feeling the people would bolt as soon as they heard the noise and saw the commotion coming their way. He had jotted down the license plate number, and then he proceeded to meet the others and go inside the house. Jack went in first, gun out front. Bobby followed suit with John and D behind him. There was a small light on by the stove as well as the light in the stairwell. Jack signaled that he was going down first. They made their way carefully in case there was anyone still left in the house besides Myles. When they reached the basement, they saw Myles sitting up on a bed rubbing his eyes. He looked at them blearily.

"Well it's about time," he said.

 **At the Safe House**

"They got him," Jane announced, relieved. The others looked up at her voice. "He's okay. Really." Lucy ran around to see. She had to be certain. Sure enough, there was Myles grinning and bandaged up, but looking better than what she had imagined.

"Oh thank God," Lucy said, clutching her chest.

"I'm so relieved," Tara said quietly to Sue, who nodded in return. Levi even woofed in agreement softly. John's face came onto the screen and he made a face while sticking his tongue out. Jane chuckled. Her husband, the clown.

"I guess the others left," Tara mused.

"It looks that way," Jane answered. She scanned the background for any clues. "Looks like a fairly abandoned place."

"This just all feels so odd," Sue said.

"I know," Tara agreed. "I'm not sure what to make of it."

"We're on route to the hospital," Jack said into the camera.

"Okay," Jane responded. "I believe you'll get some company."

"No," D said, entering their view. "You'll be escorted to the safe house. We'll stay with Myles until he's cleared and be joining you there. Nobody is risking their lives for a social call. Our original attacker is still out there, remember?"

"Got it," Jane said for them all. She closed the laptop and swiveled to face the others. "Looks like we're going into lockdown now."

"Oh fun," Tara muttered. They gathered their things and followed the armed agents to the safe house. It was going to be a long night.

 **Morning**

"Hey, babe," John said, greeting Jane with a kiss. "Where's Maddykins at?"

"Ugh, Dad, don't call me that," Maddy complained, coming into view. She hugged him anyway. He looked exhausted.

"Nice to see you too," he said to her, kissing the top of her head. "Okay, so Myles will be here shortly. I came ahead to get some shut eye. Charlie and Tess here too?" Charlie had hung back instead of going with them. He felt exhausted already from the shootout before.

"Yea. They're still sleeping," Jane answered.

"Good. He needs it after yesterday," John said. He went off to shower and take a nap. Lucy wandered into the room wondering where Myles was.

"He's coming," Jane told her. At that, there were further sounds of conversation and laughing coming from the hall. Lucy felt her heart quicken. Bobby came around first. D was next. Jack followed with Myles on his heels. Lucy hurried over to Myles and grasped his hands into her own.

"You're really okay?" she asked, searching his eyes.

"Yes," he replied. "I really am."

"Good. Why didn't you answer my text?!" Lucy asked angrily, smacking his arm repeatedly.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Myles yelped.

"I saw you," she said. "You ignored it. What was that about?!"

"Can we discuss this in private?" Myles asked. Lucy glared at him but agreed. They went into a separate room.

"Uh oh," Jack said, giving Bobby a knowing look.

"Never ignore a text from your woman, especially when she's watching," Bobby said, a twinkle in his eye.

"Speaking of 'your woman,'" Tara said coming up to him.

"Ah yes, here she is," Bobby said, hugging her tightly. Jack had already gone over to find Sue and greet her appropriately. Everyone was relieved that the night had gone better than anticipated. D had gone to join his family as well. He had brought them to the safe house as a precaution. He wasn't taking any chances. It was also why he had set up security for Sue's parents. He wanted to be cautious.

"So here's the car type and license plate," Bobby said, handing them to Tara. "Think you can find the person?"

"I can try," she smiled.

"You'll succeed because you're just that awesome," Bobby grinned back. She kissed his cheek before booting up her computer. He went over to the coffee maker and poured a cup. He was beginning to feel the affects of being up all night. He sat there with his head leaned back and eyes closed.

"I got it," Tara's voice interrupted his thoughts. He got up and went over to join her at the computer.

"And?"

"Registered to Ginelle Parkins," Tara replied.

"Hmm. Okay. We'll get a request out to pick it up," Bobby nodded.

"House is owned by Ginelle Parkins too," Tara told him. "I looked up the address."

"Interesting," Bobby said. "All right. Well, we find the car, we find our mystery nurse or doctor."

"Why did they run?" Tara asked.

"The whole FBI coming down on you while you've got their man in your basement? I'd run too," Bobby laughed.

"I guess," she agreed. Bobby went to tell the news to D. Then he was off to get some sleep.

 **Jack & Sue**

"You really think it's Jessie?" Sue asked.

"Gotta be. Only person with a grudge against all of us," Jack replied. He yawned. He was exhausted.

"So how are we going to get him?" she asked.

"We'll find him," Jack promised. "He's not that lucky."

"Ooohh bunk beds," Bobby said, entering the room. He hoisted himself up onto the top bunk. "Takes me back."

"Yea," Jack agreed.

"Goodnight all," Bobby said, turning onto his side and pulling the sheet up to his face. He was asleep within minutes.

"You should sleep too," Sue said. "You've been up all night."

"I will," Jack reassured her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I just want to get Jessie back in jail and move on with our lives," Sue answered.

"It'll happen. I promise."

"I know it will. The best teams are on the case," Sue joked.

"You know it. Now, I love you, and I will see you in a few hours," he said, kissing her. She took Levi out of the room and joined Tara.

 **Myles & Lucy**

"Why didn't you answer me?" Lucy asked again. Myles was standing there feeling sheepish.

"I don't know why," he replied finally. "I guess I just don't know where our relationship is at, and I feel like you're not really into going further than where we are, so I didn't answer to avoid feeling disappointed at another event we went to together where nothing changed."

"Why didn't you just talk to me about this?" Lucy asked.

"I am now," Myles pointed out.

"Okay, so what do you want to do about it?"

"I want to know where we are at in our relationship. Are we going to go forward?" he asked. She stood there, unsure of what to say. What did she want? She took too long to answer.

"You still don't really trust me, do you?" he asked quietly.

"It's not that," she replied quickly.

"But it's a part of it," he finished. "What can I do to change that?"

"I'm just wondering if by the near miss at the cottage, you had this fear of having regret and chased after me," Lucy blurted out. "Are your feelings really real, or are they just because you almost died and wanted to be with someone again?"

"Wow," Myles said. "That came out of nowhere."

"It's been on my mind," Lucy admitted. "I just felt that perhaps your feelings were created by the incident and not because you actually felt them."

"I don't know how to answer that," Myles told her.

"Then let's you and I take a break until you do," Lucy said. She walked out of the room then, feeling like she was going to cry. His not answering was pretty much the answer she had expected. If he really had feelings, he would have told her so, right? Myles felt bad and taken by surprise. He genuinely didn't know how to answer the question. Did he have feelings for her? Or was it purely because of what she said, he had survived death? He sat down onto the bed and put his head into his hands. He had a lot of thinking to do.

 **Hours Later**

"Ohhh that feels much better," John said, stretching. He had slept like a dead person. No dreams. No nightmares. He couldn't have asked for a better sleep. He padded out to the common room and joined the others in eating a late afternoon breakfast.

"So what, we hide out here forever?" Charlie asked. He was anxious and uncomfortable being in a place with no windows. It drove him mad.

"Nope. We got out hunting," John said.

"How are we gonna do that with all the security?" Charlie asked.

"Just wait and see," John answered vaguely.

"Okay," D said, getting their attention. "Jack and Bobby, you go and locate this Ginelle Parkins. John and Charlie, I'm putting you on duty to find Jessie."

"See?" John said to Charlie.

"Tara, Sue, and Lucy, you will remain here with Tess, Jane, and Maddy," D continued. "My family will be staying as well. We hope to clear this up before too long so we can all move on with our lives."

"Sounds good," Tara muttered. Bobby squeezed her hand in return.

"What are you gonna do?" Jack asked D.

"I'm going to go back to the scene and work with the CSIs to see what evidence they can provide for us," D answered. "We'll reconvene here before 7pm. Nobody stays out past dark."

"Got it," John bobbed his head. Everyone dispersed to do their jobs.

"What about me?" Myles asked.

"You stay and heal," D ordered. "I catch you out in the field and it's desk duty for you." Myles didn't respond.

"I'll see you later," Tara said to Bobby. He didn't kiss her the way he wanted to because everyone was watching. He left with Jack, and John left with Charlie soon after. D was the last to leave. Then it was just the women and Myles. They all looked at each other. It was going to be a long few hours.

 **Jack & Bobby**

"There it is," Bobby said, pointing. Jack halted the car abruptly. They peered at it.

"Odd place to leave it," Jack noted. It indeed looked abandoned in front of an old music store.

"These guys really do think ahead," Bobby commented. They stepped out of the car and walked over to it. Jack peered inside and noticed it wasn't locked. He opened the door and stuck his head in.

"Whoa," Jack said. The smell was a little overpowering. Bobby coughed and covered his nose.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Not sure," Jack replied. "Smells kind of like unwashed body."

"Right," Bobby said, choking a little.

"Let's call it in," Jack suggested. "We might get some more information out of it yet."

"I feel bad for the poor guy who has to detail this car for evidence," Bobby winced.

 **Dimitrius**

He was standing outside the house when the shot went off. He ducked instinctively, and the others around him sprang into action. He crept over behind the car door and peeked over the window. He couldn't see the shooter at all. He felt his heart race and pound hard in his chest. He didn't like a gunfight where the advantage was over him. He listened carefully, and it sounded like he could hear manic laughter. He didn't like the sound of it at all.

"Over there!" D pointed. The sound was coming from that direction. The other officers searched and searched, but they couldn't see anything. Then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. D worked hard to keep his breathing at a regular pace. He caught sight of an individual running at full speed down the street.

"There!" he shouted. Two officers gave chase after the person. D exhaled slowly. He did not like surprise gunfights. He didn't like them at all.

 **John & Charlie**

They were driving around trying to locate next of kin and known associates of Jessie. They were coming up empty so far.

"Where would you go?" John asked suddenly. "If you were a fugitive?"

"Mexico?" Charlie suggested.

"Besides that. If you wanted revenge," John added.

"I guess I'd find someone who was under the radar to hang with," Charlie said.

"I think we need some profiling done," John mused. He reached for his phone and dialed Jane.

"What's up?" she asked through the speaker.

"I need you to check out Jessie's Facebook page," John instructed. "Look for someone or people who seem harmless but has opinions."

"Got it," Jane replied. She disconnected.

"You think it'll be that easy?" Charlie asked.

"Sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of your face," John replied. He pulled into a drive thru. He figured she wouldn't take too long to give him the answer.

 **Elsewhere**

He had taken some shots, but he had missed. He cursed himself. This guy was proving to be too quick for him. He didn't have a very big window before he had to take off or else get caught. He wasn't sure how many chances he'd get. Next time, he couldn't miss.

 **Amy**

She had parted ways with Jonah. It was for the best that they weren't seen together. She made her way home and showered, cleaning all the grime off her. She hoped she hadn't forgotten anything that would incriminate her at the scene and in the car. She felt badly for leaving the car, but it had occurred to her after that they'd track it. She knew it would be only a matter of time before they looked into Ginelle Parkins and linked her to herself. She'd feign ignorance. She'd claim Ginelle's property was none of her concern. She just hoped they'd buy it. She also hoped they wouldn't look too closely at her.

 **At the Safe House**

Myles was sitting there feeling bored. Lucy was avoiding him, and he didn't have anything to entertain him. That's when he overheard Tara's conversation.

"I remember being wounded and in an alley," she was saying. "That's when Jonah saved me." Myles felt goosebumps suddenly. He stood up instantly, gaining their attention.

"What did you say?" he asked Tara.

"About what?" she prompted.

"The name. Who saved you?"

"Jonah. Why?" she asked, curious.

"That's him," Myles said, getting excited. "That's the guy who saved me too. Jonah the homeless man. I remember. I heard his name while under anesthetics, and I had forgotten it until you just said it now."

"I see why he would run," Tara said sympathetically. "He'd be afraid of getting in trouble."

"So we have a lead," Jane said. "That's brilliant." She was taking a break from searching all of Jessie's friends on Facebook. He had a lot.

"Who was the other person? The one who stitched you up?" Tara asked.

"She wouldn't tell me her name," Myles said slowly. "I remember asking her now. She said it wasn't important, but she did say she was an actual nurse."

"Your stitch job was phenomenal," Sue noted.

"So that makes sense," Tara said, getting excited. "Where would Jonah have met a nurse? One that he'd trust to help someone?"

"I'll add that to my to-do list," Jane responded. She turned back to keep scanning Jessie's friend list. She really wanted to find this guy. He was seriously starting to piss her off. She eventually gave up and called John to tell him to just come back with Charlie. No sense in them being out in the field and at risk for nothing.

 **Later**

Everyone was staring in shock as D described the shooting incident from earlier. Donna was holding him tightly as the kids fought back feelings of fear.

"How did he know to find you there?" Jane asked, concerned.

"He'd logically go to the crime scene after hearing about it," Jack replied. "He'd know one of us would be there."

"This is insane," Lucy piped up. "This guy can't be some superhuman. Why can't we find him?"

"I'm working on it," Jane said. She was still looking. As she said it, she noticed someone who appeared to fit John's description. Under the radar but still had an opinion.

"You got something?" John asked, leaning over her shoulder. He recognized her "I've got you now" look.

"Yea. Baby Bruce," Jane said. She printed off some comments and posts. The picture was of a massive gun collection. There were no other identifying photos.

"Baby Bruce," John mused. "Interesting. Thanks, love." He took the papers from her and went to read.

"I'm a little scared," Maddy said to Tess, watching everyone work.

"It'll be all right," Tess promised. "Your uncle and Dad are great at catching the bad guys."

"Aren't you scared?" Maddy asked, incredulous.

"Terrified," Tess admitted. "But I don't say it out loud often as it will consume me. I have faith in our guys."

"I hope that's enough," Maddy muttered. She curled up next to Zorro, who was snoring. Zorro got along well with Levi, and they would play with each other every so often. She and Tess had interacted with Donna and the kids mostly. They played a lot of card games. She just wanted to get back to real life. She wanted this Jessie jerk to be put away forever and never have to worry about him again. She hoped her parents could find him real soon.

 **And the plot thickens...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a heads up that this chapter has some action/dying people in it...**

"Mummy, I wanna go home," Tonya whined to Donna. She sighed. Davey was happily playing with his Legos, and she wished Tonya would find something to do as well. It was the day after her husband's near miss, and he had gone out again with the others to finish locating Jessie, or at least, get closer to locating Jessie.

"When things are safe again, we will go home," Donna promised. Tonya stuck her lip out. Maddy happened to walk by then, and she caught on to the situation.

"Hey, Tonya," Maddy said, bending down to her level. "I've got a puzzle that I really need help with. Are you good at puzzles?"

"I am the best," Tonya bragged, grinning.

"Sweet," Maddy smiled. "Come on with me then." She took Tonya's hand, and Donna shot Maddy a grateful look in return. She knew she had potentially just found a new babysitter.

"I think I'm getting somewhere," Tara said across the room. Jane went over to her. Donna stopped listening. She didn't really want to know anything about this Jessie character. She just wanted it all to end. Donna went into her room to find something to do so she herself wouldn't go crazy either.

"Whaddya got?" Jane asked, sitting beside Tara. Tara swiveled her laptop screen so Jane could see.

"Baby Bruce a.k.a. Bruce Thompson. He's not so smart," Tara said. She had tracked his URL down easily enough. Most people weren't aware that there were others were out there who knew how to find you when they wanted to.

"He looks...scrawny," Jane said, tilting her head to look at him. He reminded her of a heron, very beaky in the face and super skinny.

"I'm sending this to the guys," Tara told her. "They can check him out."

"Excellent," Jane nodded. "I wonder if Brucey has any friends?"

 **John & Charlie**

"Bruce Thompson," John said into the phone. "Got it. We're on our way." He hung up and flicked on his lights. Charlie felt his insides start to go like jelly. He wasn't sure why. These kind of situations never used to bother him.

"It's because it's Jessie," John said, sensing his brother's mood and reading his thoughts. "It's unnerving because this guy murdered Billy."

"I want him dead so bad," Charlie said through gritted teeth.

"I know. If he keeps up this stupidity, it just might happen," John replied. "Let's have a nice chat with 'ol Bruce and see what he says, huh?"

"Sure," Charlie agreed. He fingered his gun in its holster. He really hoped he wouldn't have to use it.

 **Bobby & Jack**

"How's Myles doing with the artist?" Bobby asked Tara on the phone. Jack had remembered that a fellow agent, Seeley Booth, knew an artist that could draw someone's picture while the person described them to her, so they asked that she sit with Myles and get a face. Angela was her name, Bobby believed.

"He's doing great. I think she's almost done," Tara added. "I'll send a copy when she's finished."

"Thanks, love," Bobby said, hanging up.

"That must be such a good talent to have," Jack mused. "Drawing by instruction. I couldn't do it."

"You can't even draw a person," Bobby sniggered.

"Hey, my stick men aren't that bad," Jack replied, indignant.

"Is that what they are?" Bobby asked, teasing. "I thought they were just smiley face balloons with extra strings attached." Jack threw his empty coffee cup at Bobby, who ducked. They were tracking down Ginelle Parkins when they discovered that she was deceased. It kind of threw a curve ball in their investigation, but they figured someone else had to be connected, so they started looking for family members. The only surviving family member was an Amy Parkins, so they decided to start there, only Amy wasn't home at the moment. They were sitting in the car waiting for her to return.

"How is Sue?" Bobby asked after a few moments of silence.

"She's all right. Frustrated that this whole thing is putting a damper on our wedding plans," Jack replied. "It's kind of annoying me too."

"Just annoying?"

"All right. It's royally pissing me off," Jack answered. "How did he even escape?"

"From what I heard, he either faked his death or managed to impersonate someone who was claimed dead," Bobby explained. "I haven't gotten the full details."

"Friggin sneak," Jack muttered.

"We'll get 'im," Bobby promised.

"I know," Jack nodded. Bobby's phone rang again. It was Tara.

"I'm sending you the photo," she said. Bobby put her on speaker so he could check his email. "She seems young, but this is accurate to what Myles described."

"Hmm," Bobby said, examining it. There was something awfully familiar about her features. Jack leaned over to look.

"I'd put her mid forties," Jack mused.

"Yea," Bobby echoed. He was doing the math inside his head.

"Hey, there she is!" Jack said, tugging at Bobby's arm.

"Gotta go," Bobby said to Tara. They disconnected, and he and Jack got out to meet Amy. She stood in her driveway, shielding her eyes from the sun. Bobby felt as though she had been expecting them.

"Hello," she said cheerfully. "What can I do for you gents?"

"Are you Amy Parkins?" Jack asked.

"I am," she nodded.

"We found your mother's car abandoned in an alley yesterday, and your mother's house was used to hide away a friend of ours for a bit. We were just wondering if you knew anything about it," Jack explained. Bobby watched Amy's face carefully. She kept it very guarded but friendly.

"I'm afraid I don't. I haven't been to that place in years. I'm sorry if that doesn't help you," she said. She turned to go inside.

"Ginelle is your mother, right?" Jack asked. Amy paused.

"She was the next best thing to a mother," Amy replied. "My real parents died with I was 14. She was my mother's best friend, so she took me under her wing. She adopted me."

"I'm sorry," Jack said. Amy waved her hand at him.

"Don't be. It was a long time ago," she responded.

"Can you tell us," Bobby said, stepping forward. "Why our friend described you as the person who was nursing him for a gunshot wound?" He showed Amy the picture on his phone. Her face blanched.

"I-I don't know. He must be mistaken. That's not me," she stuttered.

"Funny, it looks an awful like you," Jack chimed in.

"Where's Jonah?" Bobby asked. Amy flinched at this. Damn these agents were good. She hadn't realized that Myles would remember Jonah's name when he was under anesthesia. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I don't know," she confessed. "He...doesn't really have an address."

"Got it," Jack said, nodding. Bobby had the strangest feeling he'd already met this Jonah fellow before almost a year ago.

"I think you need to come with us," Jack said. Amy just nodded. The game was over.

"Is there anyone you need to notify?" Bobby asked her. She shook her head.

"There's no one," Amy answered. Standing there looking at her, Bobby couldn't help but feel that he was indeed staring into the eyes of Tara's birth mother. Things were going to get interesting.

 **The Safehouse**

"We got Amy," Jack's voice came through the radio receiver. "Going back to the office to interrogate."

"Good work," D's voice answered. "John? Charlie?"

"Just at Bruce's place," John replied. "Will update soon."

"Ten four," D said. The others sat there listening and looking at each other. Lucy filled Sue in on what was going on. Angela had left a while ago, and Myles wasn't coming out of his room. Lucy didn't know how to interpret that.

"I can't wait for this to be solved," Jane said, stretching. "It's boring in here."

"I know. The whole no windows thing is creeping me out," Tara added. "Feels like I'm in a dungeon or something."

"What if it doesn't stop at Jessie?" Tess asked, worried.

"Oh, it so ends with Jessie. Jimmy took his own life in prison once court proceedings started. Two of the gunmen from the cottage died from their wounds on scene, and the other two got caught up in a huge fight in prison and were killed. Jessie is the last person that was involved in that whole human trafficking ring," Jane replied.

"Oh," Tess said.

"Mom?" Maddy asked, approaching. "Zorro has to go out."

"Okay. Go with an agent," Jane replied. She chuckled as Maddy's two new admirers went with her, pulling at her sleeves. Tonya and Davey were adorable. It made her almost want to get pregnant again, but she knew their lives were too hectic to add another baby to. She leaned back into her seat, thinking. Then, shots were fired. Jane leaped into action, Tara not far behind her. Myles flung his door open, gun at the ready. They rushed to the entrance.

"MADDY!" Jane screamed.

 **John & Charlie**

"I don't like this," John said, peering inside the small house. There was evidence of ammunition and guns in the home. It appeared abandoned.

"Should we call it in?" Charlie asked.

"Not yet," John said. He tried the door. Locked. Without hesitation, he rammed his foot into it, bursting it open at the hinges.

"Homeland Security!" he shouted, going in gun first. Charlie followed behind. They checked all the rooms, and all were empty. John was interested in one of the bedrooms upstairs.

"Find anything?" Charlie asked. "Looks like these guys have enough firearms for a small army."

"I think I know where Jessie is," John answered. The room had no identifying information other than a very small photo of Ed and Pauline on the dresser. It was all the evidence John needed.

"Shots fired! Shots fired!" a voice came through their radio. They both froze. "All units respond..." The operator rattled off the address.

"The safehouse!" they shouted at the same time. They bolted out of the house faster than they'd ever run before. John put the pedal to the floor. He was extremely afraid and angry. How safe was a safehouse if someone was there shooting it up?!

 **Jack & Bobby**

There was no spoken agreement, but both Bobby and Jack fled the FBI building when they heard the news over the radio. Amy was going to be held until they could continue their interrogation, not that she offered much. She had clammed right up and demanded a lawyer.

"This can't be happening," Jack said, panicked. He could only imagine what was happening to Sue right now.

"We can't assume the worst yet," Bobby told him, but he was feeling panicked too. He pressed the gas harder.

 **Maddy**

It had been simple enough of a task. They had let Zorro off his leash, and he went sniffing around, searching for a place to relieve himself. Maddy was listening to Tonya and Davey giggling to one another while the agent leaned against the wall, watching. The revving of the car was what alerted her to danger. The first shot was fired, and the agent went down hard. When the second agent leaped out of the doorway into action, another shot rang out, and he fell as well. Everything turned into a blurry, slow motion mess. Maddy saw one of the men grab Tonya. Zorro had leapt onto the second man, teeth flashing. The man's screams were deafening. All Maddy could see, however, was Tonya kicking and screaming. Without a second thought, she grabbed the fallen agent's gun. Tonya bit the man hard, and he dropped her, howling in pain. Tonya began to run, and the man chased after her.

"HEY!" Maddy screamed. The man paused, turning to look at her. That's when she pulled the trigger. The look on the man's face was pure shock when he touched his wound. It was right by his heart. He fell in seconds, and Tonya ran to Davey where they huddled together, crying. A movement caught her eye, and she saw him. Jessie. He was standing there grinning like the creep he was. No way was he going to hurt anyone else on her watch. She aimed her gun at him, and he fled. She chased after him.

"MADDY!" her mother's voice reached her ears. Maddy didn't stop. Jessie shouted taunting comments over his shoulder at her. Blood rushed into her ears.

"I killed your uncle! I killed your uncle!" Jessie was shouting almost gleefully as he ran.

"STOP!" she screamed. To her surprise, Jessie stopped. He turned to face her, and she held her gun up.

"Like father like daughter," he said, loud enough for her to hear. He pulled out his gun as well. "I warn you, I'm good at duels."

She didn't hear the SUV come crashing into view. Then suddenly, there it was, and it twisted sideways, slamming into Jessie and causing him to crash into the ground. She screamed as Jessie skidded across the ground. Then she looked up at the car. The driver wasn't getting out. It was sitting there idling, unnerving her. She raised her gun again.

"Maddy!" John shouted, running to her. They had followed the directions given over the radio as to where the perpetrator had gone. She was shaking now, her hands out of her control. It had just hit her that she had killed someone. She had shot someone.

"Dad..." she said. She started to sob uncontrollably. He looked up at the other SUV still idling.

"Get out of the vehicle!" he ordered, aiming his gun. The SUV revved and began to back up.

"Stop!" John shouted. It didn't. It flipped itself around and started to take off. John shot at the back of it repeatedly, emptying his chamber. The SUV was soon out of sight.

"Shit," he said. Charlie had gone over to check out Jessie, and he gestured that Jessie was dead. John turned back to Maddy, who was shaking like leaf.

"Maddy, give me the gun," John said, holding out his hand. She clutched it harder, her reflexes refusing to let it go.

"Is he dead?" she asked.

"Yes," John replied.

"I...I killed someone," she whispered, choking. John came closer and gently pried the gun out of her grip. "He was trying to hurt Tonya..."

"And you did the right thing," John said. "It was self-defense. Maddy, it's okay."

"No. No it's not," she cried. "I murdered someone!"

"Maddy..."

"MADDY!" Jane shrieked, coming into view. She had run after her daughter. The scene before her was sobering. She grabbed Maddy into her arms, squeezing her tightly. Jane looked over at John, who was standing there unsure of what to do next.

"What's happened?" D asked, coming into view. He had come as quickly as he could. Radio chatter indicated this was where the perpetrator had gone to. He stopped when he saw Jessie on the ground.

"He was like that when I got here," John told him. D looked at him closely. He wasn't sure if he could trust John.

"It's true," Maddy said. "The SUV that hit him took off." John gave details on it, and D went to call it in. Then he came back to Maddy.

"What happened?" he asked her. When she started to explain, fear crept into him.

"I gotta go," he said abruptly.

"But I..." Maddy started.

"We'll get someone else to take your statement," Jane told her. "He just found out his family was almost hurt."

 **Dimitrius**

He'd never run so fast in his life. The safehouse came into view with EMS and lights flashing everywhere, and he instantly saw Donna crouched and holding their two children while they sobbed. When she saw him, she started to cry herself. He grabbed them all into a huge hug. Tonya clung to his leg, and Davey held on to D's middle.

"It's all right," he kept saying. "It's all right now. It's okay."

"Promise me this is over," Donna said, looking at him once she had stopped crying.

"It's over. It's definitely over," he promised. She clung to him. Words could not express how relieved she was. He didn't mention the mysterious SUV. That was the farthest thing from his mind in that moment.

"Everyone all right?" Jack called, running over. Bobby was right behind him. Myles gave them a quick rundown of what had happened. Bobby looked over to see Zorro standing over the one man's body. He went over quickly, checking for a pulse. The man had a lot of tears in his shirt, but he was still alive. It seemed to Bobby that the man had tripped and fallen while trying to get away from the dog and hit his head on the curb. Zorro growled when the man stirred.

"You, sir, are under arrest," Bobby said, handcuffing him. "Good dog," he said to Zorro, patting the black dog's head. The thing looked like a bloody wolf almost. Bobby had no doubt this man was going to have nightmares for the rest of his life about this incident. Bobby looked over to the second man, seeing that he was deceased. One of the fallen agents was in critical condition, but the other one was declared dead on scene. Bobby felt terrible. The agent was new to the field, and Bobby had been working on getting to know him better. He couldn't imagine how this young man's family was going to react to the news.

"Bobby," Tara said, grabbing him and clutching him to her. She had never been so happy to see him in her life.

"I'm here," he said. They didn't say anything else.

 **Later**

It bothered John greatly that the SUV got away. He wanted to know who it was and why they had killed Jessie. His focus right now, though, was on Maddy. She had shut down despite everyone telling her she had done the right thing. He knew how he had felt the first time he had killed someone. He knew she'd be taking it extremely hard.

"Mads," he said, going into her room. Since Jessie was no longer in the scene, they were allowed to return home. Maddy had taken refuge in her room with Zorro as soon as they crossed the threshold.

"Go away," she muttered. She was sitting on her bed and staring out the window. He ignored her and sat down beside her.

"It will haunt you for the rest of your life," he started.

"Oh, thanks," she said sarcastically. "How is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I'm not trying to make you feel better cos I know that won't help you right now," he answered. "I'm trying to tell you how you're gonna feel from here on out."

"So I'm going to be haunted by this forever?" she demanded.

"Only if you let it haunt you," he said. "You didn't let me finish. It will only haunt you if you let it take control. You gotta come to terms of why you did what you did and for what cause. You saved a little girl's life. Yes, it came at a price, but nevertheless, you saved Tonya."

"I'm no hero," she muttered.

"In her eyes, you are. In her parents' eyes, you are. In mine, you are," he said. "I know it doesn't feel that way, and maybe it never will, but that's okay. You gotta deal with this in a way that's actually going to help you."

"His face..." she trailed off. She couldn't get it out of her mind. The shock, the realization. It was there every time she closed her eyes.

"It'll fade," he promised.

"Did yours?"

"Yea."

"What was your first?"

"Guy drew his gun on your Uncle Charlie. I knew he was gonna shoot to kill, so I shot him first," John told her. "I beat myself up for weeks wondering if there could have been another way."

"Was there?" she asked.

"No. If I hadn't shot him, your uncle wouldn't be here right now," John answered. She thought about this.

"Did you ever forgive yourself?" she wanted to know.

"Yes, because I would have felt even worse if I hadn't reacted and Charlie had been killed," John explained. "Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Yes," she nodded. She would have felt so much worse if Tonya had been taken or killed.

"Mull it over. Process it. Then move on," he told her. "Don't dwell on it. It will only drive you mad." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She hugged him in return. She truly hoped it would fade with time.

 **Elsewhere**

Too close. It had been way too close. He recalled the look on the man's face. He could still see the girl standing there trying to look more brave than she probably felt. How he had gotten away he wasn't sure. He had allowed his thoughts to trip him up, and it had almost gotten him caught. He shook his head. That couldn't ever happen again.

 **Jack**

He was with Sue when he got the call. He felt a surge of anger upon hearing the news.

"What's happened?" Sue asked.

"Amy was released. Her lawyer did a good job proving she acted out of good faith and didn't hurt Myles. She is a registered nurse, and she has a good standing with the hospital. Looks like that case is closed," Jack sighed. Bobby happened to have overheard this.

"She's gone?" he asked. Jack nodded. Bobby had a strange look go across his face.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Nothing," Bobby replied. He didn't stick around. There was something he had to do.

 **I'm sure you're all glad to see the end of Jessie! I know I am. On to better and happier chapters ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	7. Chapter 7

Where was Bobby? Tara was frowning at her phone. He had disappeared after they were released from the safe house, and he wasn't answering his phone. She hoped he was all right. She sighed. This whole Jessie fiasco had derailed her from thinking about her birth mother. It had made her forget that someone out there hadn't wanted her. It still really hurt to think about. She regretted not grabbing the adoption papers when she was at her father's house. Even though she didn't want to read it, a part of her really did. She decided to go back and get them.

 **Bobby**

He found her amidst bags and things strewn everywhere. She was in an obvious hurry. He waited a beat before knocking on the screen door.

"Oh!" she yelped, whirling around. She clutched at her chest. "You scared me."

"May I come in?" he asked.

"My lawyer cleared me. If you're here to arrest me, you've got no grounds," Amy said.

"I'm not here about that," Bobby assured her. She peered at him curiously.

"Okay then," she said, gesturing. He opened the door and closed it behind him gently.

"You going somewhere?" he asked.

"Last minute vacation," she smiled grimly. "Although not so much a vacation. A friend of mine is really sick. She needs me to help care for her."

"I'm sorry," Bobby responded. He didn't buy it, but he let her have it.

"So, what can I help you with, Mr. FBI?" she asked, pausing for a moment and looking at him. She wiped her brow to clear the sweat. Bobby pulled out the file with the adoption papers in it and set it down on the table carefully. She eyed it suspiciously.

"Are you serving me with something?" she asked.

"No. Look at it," Bobby gestured. She reached for it and picked it up gingerly. When she opened it, she went very white in the face. She closed it after a moment.

"I'm afraid you've got the wrong person," she told him.

"I don't think I do," Bobby said, crossing his arms. "And you know it."

"So what's this about then? I'm being arrested for giving up my child? It was totally legal," she added.

"I'm not here to arrest you for anything," Bobby said. "I'm here to tell you that your daughter is in D.C."

"She...what?" Amy asked, her heart skipping.

"She actually is a friend of mine," Bobby went on. "And she recently found out about you."

"Oh," Amy said. "Should you even be here? I mean, won't she be angry you contacted me without her permission?"

"Perhaps, but I knew you were gonna take off," Bobby said. "So call it drastic measures if you will."

"You think that by telling me my daughter is in D.C. it's gonna keep me from leaving?" Amy asked. "You are sadly mistaken. I am needed elsewhere, and I'm sorry but I don't want that chapter of my life ripped open again."

"So you really didn't want her," Bobby clarified. They stared at each other.

"Is that what she thinks?" Amy asked. "Is that what you think?"

"It's what the file says," Bobby pointed.

"I wanted her to have a better life than I could provide her," Amy said slowly. "I didn't want to look at her every day and be constantly reminded of why she was here in the first place."

"I see," Bobby said, getting it. He had been right.

"No, you don't see. You've already made a snap judgment about me, and I won't stand for it," Amy said sharply.

"I'm not making any judgments, Amy," Bobby said.

"Then why does it feel like it?" she challenged. Bobby's phone rang then, and he looked to see it was Tara calling. He ignored it.

"What if I told you you could meet her without her seeing you," Bobby said.

"I'm not interested," Amy said quickly. "Look, Agent, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I am quite fine to leave my past in the past. Please respect that." She turned back to her packing.

"All right," Bobby said. "But if you change your mind..." He put down an address on the table and left. Once the door closed, she went over to it and picked it up. Fiddling with it, she now didn't know if she should disappear after all.

 **A Few Hours Earlier**

"I got released," Amy said. Jonah had found her once she had exited the FBI building. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I am. I just wanted to make sure you were all right," Jonah said.

"You're so thoughtful," Amy smiled. They were at her place sitting at the table.

"What's the plan now?" Jonah asked.

"I don't know. I feel like I should get out of here, but I don't know why," she sighed.

"I can help with that," Jonah offered.

"How?" she asked, looking at him sharply. "You're not a fugitive are you?"

"Well," Jonah said, shifting slightly.

"Are you?" she demanded. She felt a shot of fear going through her.

"Yes and no," Jonah said. He looked at her carefully.

"Do you care to explain?" she asked.

"I will, but first, answer me this: do you want to disappear? Become a ghost?" he asked. She stared at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she whispered.

"Do you want to become a ghost?" he asked again.

"But what does that entail?"

"Just answer the question, Amy," Jonah prodded.

"I..." Did she? Did she want to disappear? It's something that she had wanted before, especially from her attacker, but now? The FBI would be watching her that's for sure. She didn't really have anything left here. She already was semi invisible to others.

"Amy?"

"Okay," she agreed. "I want to become a ghost."

"Figured you'd say yes," Jonah beamed.

"So, how does it work?" she asked.

"I will tell you," Jonah said. "But first, you need to know my story."

 **1991**

James Montgomery was in his prime. He had a beautiful wife and two wonderful children. He was an accountant, and he worked very hard. James loved his family. He spent as much time with them as he could. Then his wife became pregnant with their third child, only to lose that child during childbirth. James' wife almost died herself. This sobering event caused James to close off from his family. He somehow felt it was his fault their second son had died before ever hearing his name spoken aloud. James was broken inside, and he didn't know how to let his wife in. He didn't know how to be there for her either. Their two children recognized their parents were falling apart, but they didn't know how to help either. It had been a simple gesture that started it all.

"Feeling lucky?" a guy asked James, passing him a chip. James looked over at the casino across the street. Did he feel lucky? When he turned, the man was gone, and James was left with a churning in his stomach. The desire to forget it all was very strong, so walked over to the casino and played his chip.

"Where were you?" his wife, Lily, asked later. James shrugged off the question.

"I worked late," he offered. Lily didn't argue. She knew he would sometimes work late when he needed space. He seemed to need a lot of space lately. James felt badly for lying. He just couldn't admit that he had been gambling. The months went on with him gambling more and more. Then he had a bookie. Then he lost so much that he knew his wife was going to find out. His bookie was looking for him, and he needed money fast. One evening, James came home to find his house on fire. The firefighters were already there, and upon seeing him, they called out to him, asking if he was the owner of this home. Unable to speak, he simply nodded. They proceeded to tell him that there were no survivors, that they were very sorry. He could only numbly stand and listen, knowing the reason for this tragic accident. This was his punishment for gambling. This is what he deserved, to be miserable forever. He spent many nights afraid and in hiding. He cut his hair and dyed it. He started wearing sunglasses. He didn't know if the bookie was still looking for him, but he wasn't taking any chances. One night, he was approached by a man.

"Do you want to disappear?" the man asked. "Do you want to become a ghost?"

"W-what?" James asked. Did this man know?

"Do you want to become a ghost?" the man repeated. James thought about it hard. If he stayed here, he'd eventually be killed by the bookie. If he left, he was running away from his past and would forever be guilty for what happened to his family. In the end, he decided to take the coward's way out.

"Yes," James said. It all happened quickly. He was given the name Jonah and explained how Ghost worked. Ghost was a silent program for those who needed to disappear from their lives and be relocated elsewhere to do good deeds in the background. When James heard he was going to D.C., he felt relieved. It was a big place. He could hide easily. It was far away from everything. He thanked the man, and went on his way. Once in D.C., he realized an even better way to punish himself. He'd be homeless. What better way to be a ghost than to be living on the streets as a nobody? His first night was cold, but he survived. He had survived every day ever since.

 **Present Day**

Amy stared at Jonah.

"How awful," she whispered.

"Mmhmm," he said, bowing his head.

"So, you ran away, and you've punished yourself ever since?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Why the name Jonah?"

"Jonah was the man from the Bible who ran away from God's request and was swallowed by the whale after a storm hit," Jonah explained. "The purpose of the story was to teach of repentance and God's forgiveness."

"But...what was God's request of you?" Amy asked, confused.

"I don't know. Sal just thought the name fit. I did need to repent for my gambling though and the destruction it caused in my life."

"And the forgiveness part?" Amy asked.

"I repent every single day," Jonah said. "I live my life this way as my repentance, and maybe God has forgiven me for what I've done, but I can't forgive myself."

"Oh, Jonah," Amy said. "You didn't burn your house down."

"But I may as well have," Jonah said. "It was my gambling problem that got them killed, I know it, so in other words, it was me."

"No," Amy shook her head. "Did you not find out the cause of the fire?"

"I don't have to. I know who started it. Look, you believe it the way you want, and I'll believe it the way I want," Jonah said. He stood. "Are you still wanting to be a Ghost?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"I'll get you in contact with Salvation then," Jonah said. At her confused look he went on. "Salvation, or Sal, is the name of the man who offered me this invisible freedom. He started Ghost because of his own past and knowing that sometimes you had to start new somewhere else as someone else in order to move on. He also believes in doing good for others in an almost invisible way, so it's one of the important things you'll be doing as a Ghost."

"Okay," Amy echoed. Jonah patted her hand and turned to go. "I'm sorry, Jonah."

"I'm sorry too," Jonah said. "But we can't change it."

"You could. You don't have to live like a homeless person," Amy urged.

"Maybe in my new home, I won't," Jonah shrugged. He doubted it.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked.

"Probably not. In doing a good deed I've brought attention to myself in a way I don't want. I've got to move on," Jonah said. "It'll only be a matter of time before they find me and discover who I am."

"I'll miss you," Amy said.

"And I you. Don't be sad. I'll be all right," Jonah smiled. He knew she'd be sad anyway. When he left, he felt a little bit of freedom in having told his story. He hadn't told anyone else his story aside from Sal, and even though both had tried to tell him he was not a killer (he wouldn't be in the Ghost program if he was, no criminals were), in his mind, he knew he was no better than one. It was his haunt, and he'd live with it forever.

 **Tara**

She ransacked until everything was everywhere. She sat amidst the pile of papers and other things that were in her father's desk. The adoption file was gone. This puzzled her. Had she taken it without remembering? No. She shook her head. She had been angry. She hadn't wanted to know anymore. Why, then, was the file gone? Then it hit her. Bobby had taken them. She scrambled to her feet and went to find him. She was hurt that he had pocketed them without her permission. How could he have done that? She found him at his favorite diner looking rather disgruntled about something. She sat down across from him and stared. He knew.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to find her, to show you she wasn't a monster," Bobby said.

"You had no right..."

"I know I didn't," he cut her off. "I'm sorry. I really thought it would work."

"So, you saw her?" Tara asked, shocked. He nodded.

"She was the nurse who fixed up Myles. I knew it as soon as I saw her that she was your biological mother. I couldn't believe it, that she was practically delivered to me without even searching, so I thought it was fate."

"Bobby..."

"I know. I was stupid. I shouldn't have even approached her. You were right," Bobby sighed.

"About what?" Tara asked.

"She didn't want anything to do with you," he told her. The news slapped her in the face even though she had already known it to be true.

"Oh," she said.

"But," Bobby went on, "I was right for the reason. She said she didn't want to look at you every day and be reminded constantly of what happened to her, so that leaves me to believe she was sexually assaulted."

"So what," Tara spat. "I was a baby! I was harmless!"

"I know. Tara, she was a kid herself," Bobby said, reaching out to grab her hand. "She made a mistake. She knows you're here, in D.C."

"What?!" Tara yelped.

"I told her she could see you if she wanted, but I don't know if she will," Bobby said.

"What about what I want?!" Tara shrieked. "You didn't even stop to think about that!"

"You're telling me that you aren't even the slightest bit curious about meeting your biological mother?" Bobby challenged. Tara seethed inside, but she knew he knew he got her with this one. She was curious. She did want to know. She sat back and crossed her arms.

"I hate you," she said.

"No, you don't," Bobby grinned.

"In this moment, I do," she argued.

"I just really know you," he tried. "I know you want to meet her whether you know it yourself or not." She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands.

"Am I that much of an open book?" she asked, looking at him finally.

"No. You're human. You're curious. You are a caring, compassionate person, and I know that you know Amy had a good reason for doing what she did no matter what this stupid file says," Bobby finished.

"I care too much," Tara muttered.

"No such thing," Bobby said to her.

"So now what? I just wait for her to decide if she wants to see me?" Tara demanded.

"No. I know where she lives," Bobby said. "You decide if you want to see her or not."

"Take me there," Tara instructed.

 **Amy**

She had hung out to see if the FBI guy would come back, and she was right. He did. This time he had a woman with him, and without a doubt Amy knew this was the little girl she had given away all those years ago. It felt like yesterday. She could easily see this woman was nervous and anxious to be there. Amy debated whether or not to go over and say hello. In the end, she decided not to. She didn't want to further hurt the little girl she had given away. It would be for the best. She was a ghost now.

 **I might change this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about how it's turned out. Sorry for the wait. I've been struggling with writer's block and some family health issues that have come up suddenly. Anyhow, let me know what you think. If the whole Ghost idea is dumb, I'll take it out.**

 **Also: I am writing a crossover of Sue Thomas FBEye with Bones called Booth & Bobby: FBI (Friends, Bros, & Inspirations) for those who are interested in reading it. I find putting crossovers in its own section ends up with nobody reading them, and I want people to read it lol**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for your kind words. The past few weeks have been stressful, but the news was good in the end, so now we wait to rule out other things. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's funny how writer's block just suddenly backs off. Cheers!**

"I'm sorry," Bobby said. Tara was sitting in the SUV beside him looking despondent. "I really thought she'd be there."

"It's fine," she replied. Bobby knew she was not fine, but he dropped it. When they arrived at her apartment, he put the car in park and turned to her.

"She's the one missing out," he told her. "I wish I had listened to you and left it alone."

"Bobby, you were just trying to help. It's okay. It's probably for the best I didn't see her," Tara informed him. "Let's just go inside and have a nice dinner and forget about it."

"Okay," he nodded. He liked the sound of that.

 **Jack & Sue**

"Do you realize that in less than two months we will be married?" Jack asked. Sue smiled at him.

"It seems so far away and yet not really," she answered.

"Exactly! You're not having doubts are you?" he fretted.

"Of course not, silly," she laughed. "If there's one thing I never doubt, it's our love."

"That's reassuring," he smiled, hugging her. Sue felt like her life couldn't get any happier. She had tried the dress on with Lucy earlier, and her friend had cried seeing her in it. She couldn't wait to see Jack's reaction after seeing her in it.

"Are you regretting a small wedding?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I like that we'll be able to talk to everyone instead of just waving to them."

"My mom keeps trying to get me to invite more people," Sue sighed. Jack understood that his future mother in law could be meddle a little with certain things.

"Stay strong," he advised her. "She'll get the message."

"I hope you're right," she replied. Levi rested his head on her knee. She petted him absently.

"The past few days have been rough," Jack said. "Are you okay?"

"I just keep thinking about what makes someone become so evil," Sue admitted. "Especially at so young of an age. He was only 17."

"18," Jack corrected. "He turned 18 a little while ago. But yes, I do know what you mean. I try not to think about it too much. It only makes my brain hurt." Sue smiled and rubbed his head affectionately.

"We wouldn't want that," she teased.

"It takes all kinds to make this world," Jack went on. "I'm just grateful I have you and our friends. Makes getting through the hard cases easier."

"Do you ever think about leaving the FBI?" Sue asked.

"Sometimes, but then I think who else will catch the bad guys?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

"Hmmm you're right," she smiled. "I guess you should just stay."

"One day," he said, pulling her into his lap, "we are gonna see the world. You and me. We'll leave the life of crime behind us."

"I like the sound of that," she nodded, resting her head onto his chest. The vibration of his heartbeat was always soothing to her. She wanted the next few weeks to go by quickly. She couldn't wait to fall asleep to his heartbeat.

 **John**

He was flying down the streets. Andy Hunter's "Go" playing in his ears. It seemed lately that nothing cleared his mind better than a good run. It also made him feel closer to his dead brother, as crazy as that sounded. He imagined Billy not too far behind him, complaining that John was somehow cheating. Running made him feel like something was in control. He tried not to think about Maddy. She was still struggling with the whole incident the other day despite their talk. He knew it would take some time, but he worried that she'd forever be scarred by it. Jane convinced him to give her some space. He didn't think that was the best solution, but she made the argument that Maddy couldn't fully process everything if John was always there trying to get her mind off it.

"Hey, watch it!" a guy shouted as John narrowly missed him. His back complained at the sudden twist he'd done to avoid collision. How he didn't sprain his ankle, he'd never know. Shaking his head, he carried on. He focused his thoughts on happier things, like Sue's upcoming wedding. His little sister was finally tying the knot, and with a great guy too. He'd always worried about her, but now he realized she was quite capable of taking care of herself. She always had been. She'd been dealt a lousy card when she lost her hearing. He sometimes asked God why He chose her and not one of the boys instead. When he reached his turn around point he slowed down and stopped to take a swig of water. The SUV guy flashed into his head again. Who was he? And why did he help them? It was a mystery, and one that John wanted to solve. He had been digging everywhere to get the license plate, but somehow, all the angles just couldn't catch the entire thing. He wasn't giving up, though. He would find this person even if he spent his whole life on it. He put his water away and started running back. Sometimes he felt like he was running in order to escape the mistakes he made in his past. Sometimes he felt he succeeded.

 **Charlie**

"He totally took my runners," Charlie said, tossing the other shoes out of the closet.

"Who did?" Tess asked, looking around the corner at him.

"John," Charlie replied.

"Why would he take your shoes?"

"Because he has to always be faster than me," Charlie muttered.

"And shoes are what's helping him do that?" Tess teased.

"Who's side are you on?" Charlie asked, affronted. She laughed.

"Yours obviously," she smiled. "Now, if you had just asked me, I would have told you that your shoes are right here." She pulled them out to show him.

"Where did you find them?" he questioned, surprised.

"They were under the table from...you know," she said, tilting her head at him.

"Ohhh right," Charlie nodded. He remembered. Things had been going well for him and Tess since he'd started therapy. He'd managed to work through the majority of his anger, but his grief still slammed him sometimes. His therapist said that was normal, that grief would wax and wane even after all this time. The biggest thing was letting Tess in. Once he had succeeded at that, things had slowly returned to normal, as normal as it could be. They even had a different discussion that had been a long time coming, but they both agreed it was time.

"I'll see you later," she said, giving him a kiss. He donned his shoes and went out into the fresh air. It was another day.

 **Myles**

He was sipping his coffee alone at the diner they sometimes visited. He was still doing some thinking about the whole Lucy thing. He knew she needed to trust him fully before trying again, and he didn't know how to help her with that. Then he kept thinking about what she said, that he only professed his love because he'd almost died. He didn't know if that was the case, but it was something he needed to search further in himself. He had had a few near misses in his career, so why was this one so much more profound? He stared out the window, seeing John go whipping by at lightning speed. He admired the man's ability and endurance. He certainly couldn't run like that, nor did he want to. He turned his attention back to inside the diner. His waitress came back with the bill, and she was smiling. He had noticed that she seemed to always be his waitress whenever he came here, and it was curious.

"Have a great day," she beamed. He thanked her and smiled in return. He stood and donned his coat before picking up the receipt. That's when he saw it.

 **Jeanine 202 7345**

 **Call me :)**

He looked up, but she was already gone. He paid and tucked the receipt into his breast pocket. He didn't really know what he'd do with it.

 **Amy**

She had driven all night to get to her destination. She tried to keep the image of Tara out of her mind. She had looked so grown up! Amy gripped the steering wheel hard. She had made her decision. There was no going back. Once she became a ghost that was it. It was the new life she'd always wanted, away from all the haunts of her past. Why then, did she feel like she was making the wrong decision? She thought about Jonah and what had happened to him. He had no family left, but she did. She looked at the directions again. She was getting closer to where Sal was waiting for her. She wondered what new name she'd take. Bobby's conversation rattled through her mind again. He had wanted her to meet Tara so badly. She assumed he was possibly her boyfriend. If so, her daughter had good taste. This made Amy smile and chuckle. Then she felt sad. Her inner turmoil was beginning to drive her crazy. She turned her radio up louder, trying to drown out all her thoughts. It just wasn't working.

 **Elsewhere**

"Paul, you broke protocol," Sal said in his ear.

"I know," Paul replied.

"What did we discuss when we first met?" Sal asked.

"To not return to your past life," Paul recited.

"Exactly, so why did you?"

"I just needed to clear one thing up," Paul told him. Sal sighed on the other end of the phone.

"Are you certain you won't be traced?"

"I won't. I was very careful. Even if they found the SUV, it's beyond recognition," Paul promised. He had torched it himself.

"All right. So long as that's the last time," Sal warned.

"It is. Definitely," Paul reassured him. He hung up the phone and twirled it in his hand. It had been a close call, but it had been worth it. Now he had closure.

 **The Next Day**

Sue, John, Charlie, and Jane were at the office doing paperwork when Tess showed up.

"Hey darlin'," John said.

"Hi guys," she waved. "Charlie? Can I talk to you?"

"Yea, sure," he said. He hopped up from his chair and followed her out the door.

"She sure is glowing," Jane commented. John shot her a raised eye brow in response. Jane just shrugged. Sue missed the comment, but she also noticed that Tess looked different.

"What's up?" Charlie asked her once they were in the hall.

"I went to the doctor today," she said, smiling.

"And?" he asked, nervous.

"Charlie, I'm pregnant," she told him. It took two seconds before it hit him. He gasped.

"I'm gonna be a dad?"

"Yes!" she laughed. He picked her up and spun her around.

"Can we tell them?" Charlie asked, gesturing.

"I don't see why not," Tess agreed. They walked back in hand in hand, almost hitting John with the door.

"Ahem, sorry 'bout that," John coughed.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Charlie demanded.

"Noooo," John denied.

"What's up?" Jane asked, changing the topic. Charlie and Tess looked at each other.

"You say it," he told her.

"Okay," she giggled. "I'm pregnant!"

"Ahhhhhh!" Jane squealed. She ran around her desk and grabbed her sister in law into a bear hug. Sue joined in.

"Congrats man," John said, punching Charlie in the shoulder. "About time."

"Yea well, we decided it was the right time," Charlie replied.

"This is so exciting!" Jane cried. "We have to celebrate. Tonight. Our place."

"You got it," Tess nodded. She peeked at Charlie, who was looking at her with pride. They were going to be parents. It was the best news they'd gotten in a long time.

 **The Bull Pen-FBI**

"How are things with your family?" Lucy asked D. He looked up from his paperwork.

"They're getting better. The kids are still having nightmares. I don't expect that to go away any time soon," D sighed.

"It was quite the ordeal for them," Lucy empathized.

"Onward and upward," D nodded. "It'll get better."

"Hey," Jack said. "Sue just texted me. Charlie and Tess are having a baby. Party at John's tonight."

"Oh my gosh!" Lucy gushed. "That's so exciting!"

"I can see Charlie as a dad," Myles mused. "Drumsticks in one hand and rocking the baby's crib in the other." Charlie was known to be a drummer, not that they'd heard him play anything yet.

"I hope the baby doesn't get his hair," Bobby joked. Tara laughed. Charlie did have very unruly hair that went in every direction no matter what he tried to do with it.

"It's an open invite," Jack went on. "So whoever wants to go they're welcome." The others chattered about it. They definitely couldn't miss out on razzing Charlie.

 **Evening**

"Hope y'all like pizza!" John called, carrying the big stack of boxes in.

"Aww you're not cooking?" Jack teased. He remembered his cooking abilities from the lake.

"Not tonight. Pizza is Charlie's favorite food anyway," John told him.

"You just can't go wrong with it," Charlie shrugged, taking a slice. The house was a hum of conversation. The women were all gathered around Tess and talking animatedly about baby names and other plans.

"Any leads on that SUV?" Bobby asked in a hushed voice. John shook his head.

"I'm still working on it," he answered.

"Let's not ruin tonight with work," Jack suggested.

"Hear, hear," Myles said, clinking his glass with Charlie's. Bobby caught Tara's eyes across the room. She smiled a secret smile just for him. He winked in return. Jack signed something to Sue, who signed back. D hadn't come as his children were afraid to have him gone longer than he needed to be outside of work.

"So, boy or girl? What's your gut tell you?" John asked Charlie when they went to refill their drinks together.

"I dunno. I'm fine with either," Charlie replied.

"Hope it's a boy. It's very stressful keeping teenage boys off a girl," John advised. Charlie snorted into his drink. "I'm serious! Teenage girls are like a huge magnet. Not sure if you could handle it."

"Oh, I think I could handle it," Charlie argued.

"Nuh uh."

"Tie breaker!" Charlie laughed. Then he remembered. John gave him a sad look. Billy was always their tie breaker in these types of arguments.

"He'd side with you," John reassured him. "Cos you were his favorite."

"You're just saying that," Charlie said.

"No, it's true," John nodded. It was getting easier to talk about Billy at least. After the initial moment of pain was over. The evening went on without any further incidents. When it grew later, Bobby signaled to Tara that he was ready to split. She was also ready. A chorus of good nights and congratulations were called out as everyone eventually went home. It had been a happy night, and goodness knows they all needed one.

 **Bobby & Tara**

It had been a long time since they'd had such a make out fest, and Bobby remembered how much he had missed being that close with her. They were back at Tara's apartment after Tess and Charlie's party. It had been a long night of not being close to one another. The knocking at the door was a huge annoyance, but he got up to answer it.

"I'll be back," he winked, making Tara grin in return.

"Hurry," she called. He went down to the door and opened it. He couldn't believe who he saw.

"Hi," Amy said.

"Why are you here?" he asked, trying to stay calm. He shut the door behind him so Tara wouldn't hear.

"I thought about what you said," she explained. "I want to see her, talk to her."

"What happened to running away?" Bobby asked.

"That is something a coward would do, and I'm not a coward. I face my demons, my problems, and I work through them. I need to apologize for what I did," she finished.

"Very brave of you," Bobby said.

"Who is it?" Tara called in the background, her voice muffled by the door.

"Is she with you?" Amy asked.

"Yea," Bobby answered. "This is her apartment after all."

"Can I see her?" she asked.

"Just...hang on," he said, going back inside. He stood there staring at the door feeling very nervous suddenly.

"Hey," Tara said, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around him. "What's going on?" Bobby turned until they were face to face.

"Tara, your mother is outside," Bobby said. She froze, mouth open in shock.

"But...how?" she asked.

"I gave her your address in case she changed her mind," he answered. "She changed her mind."

"I...wow. She's...out there. We're really doing this," Tara said. She needed to catch her breath.

"We're doing it together," he promised. "I will not leave your side."

"Okay," she nodded. He pulled her into a tight hug. Her heart was hammering. She was going to meet her mother. All she had to do was open the door.

 **I await all your lovely reviews! Also, don't forget to check out Booth & Bobby: FBI (Friends, Bros, & Inspirations) if you haven't already! There will be romance for Bobby in it ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I haven't forgotten about you guys. I just got busy. Enjoy!**

* * *

Tara reached for the knob before hesitating.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked.

"I just...this is my birth mom, here," Tara said. "The woman who gave me up. I have this idea of how it's going to go, and I'm not sure I can do it." Bobby took her hands in his and pulled her to face him.

"Tara, you are the strongest person I know," he said softly. "I have complete faith in you that you can do this." Tara just nodded in return before turning to stare at the door again.

"What if she decides she doesn't like me?" Tara whispered.

"There is nothing unlikable about you," Bobby reassured her. "And I would know." He smirked. She smacked his chest playfully.

"All right," she exhaled. "Okay." She went to the door again.

"Just open it," Bobby encouraged. She gave him one last look before pulling the door open. Amy was halfway down the steps and turned to look back.

"You were leaving?" Tara asked, stunned.

"I thought maybe you didn't want to see me after all," Amy answered. "I panicked."

"Give me some credit," Tara said, feeling angry.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I just...panicked," Amy said again.

"Do you want to come in or not?" Tara asked.

"Yes! I do. May I?" Amy asked, uncertain. "Is the offer still there?" Tara opened the door wider before stepping back.

"Do what you want," she answered. Amy looked past her to see Bobby standing there giving her an encouraging look, so she took one step slowly before gaining speed and entered her daughter's apartment. Tara closed the door behind her. Amy stood there feeling awkward.

"So...what happens now?" Amy asked. "Do we hug?"

"No," Tara replied. Amy hugged herself instead.

"Fair enough," she nodded. "I deserve that."

"Bobby, can you leave us?" Tara asked. He looked at her.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"Yes," she nodded. Amy watched the two of them. Bobby gave her an apologetic look before disappearing into Tara's room and closing the door behind him. Tara squared off with Amy, her arms crossed. Amy gulped.

"Why?" Tara asked. It was one simple word, yet it was very loaded. Amy inhaled shakily.

"I have no answer that is going to make you feel better," Amy replied. "I was fifteen. I was frightened. I had just been through a hell of an ordeal, and I didn't feel I could give you the life you deserved."

"So you really didn't want me," Tara stated. It still stung.

"I wouldn't word it like that," Amy urged. "I didn't feel I would have been good enough for you..."

"Doesn't any parent feel that way?" Tara interrupted.

"I don't know, but Tara, you were better off. You really were. Look where you are today! I would not have been able to give you that. I was a wreck of a teenager, and in many ways, I still am. I'm not sorry for giving you a fair chance at life," Amy finished. Tara felt tears threatening to fall.

"How did your parents react to it?" Tara asked. This was something she had been dying to know. If it had been her child, she'd have been very upset.

"My parents died when I was 14," Amy answered quietly.

"Oh," Tara said. She felt the wind go out of her sails then.

"Yea. I don't know how much you know about me..."

"Very little," Tara cut in.

"Then I'll tell you. I was raped by a guy who thought it was funny. He was in med school, and I was in such awe of him. He used this to his advantage and damaged me in such a way that I will never be the same. Then I got pregnant, and I had a war with myself over what I was going to do. My mother's best friend took me in and adopted me, and she spent many nights with me going over what my options were. I never, ever considered abortion. I felt I could give you to someone who needed you, someone who could love you and protect you."

"I went through hell," Tara said. "My first few homes were not good."

"I...I'm so sorry," Amy said remorsefully.

"My last home was perfect," Tara went on. "They raised me with love. Then my mother died when I was fifteen to cancer. It was just my Dad and I. He just recently died, and he is the one who told me I was adopted."

"I'm so sorry," Amy repeated.

"It's fine. I was angry at him for keeping that from me. I was angry at you for giving me up. I still am," Tara added.

"I understand," Amy nodded. They stood in silence for a moment. Amy could feel Bobby's presence pressed against the door, listening.

"So, what now?" she asked.

"I don't know," Tara admitted.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"I don't know," Tara said again. She really didn't.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Bobby's voice came from her room.

"What's that?" Tara asked, stifling a laugh. Trust her boyfriend to be eavesdropping.

"Have a cup of coffee," he answered. Tara turned to Amy, the question in her eyes.

"I'd love that," Amy nodded. "Thanks, Bobby!"

"Anytime!" he called back. Amy moved to sit at the table while Tara brewed a pot.

"So, you're FBI," Amy said finally. "That's amazing."

"It was kind of something I always wanted to do," Tara shrugged. "What about you?"

"A nurse. Sort of. I quit that to work with the homeless," Amy answered.

"Oh. How come?"

"Well, the guy who hurt me? Your father? He showed up at my hospital and made a mockery out of me, so I left. It was the best thing to do for my sanity," Amy sighed. Tara gripped her mug hard. She really wanted to punch this man in the throat.

"He's still a practising doctor then?" Tara asked.

"Yes," Amy nodded. "Mostly in emergency. He quit his practice from what I heard."

"I see," Tara replied. She felt unsure of what else to say on that topic. She watched as Amy looked around her, taking in everything. Amy had shoulder length dark brown hair and fair skin. The only resemblance Tara could really see was the eyes. They had the same color and sockets as she did. Maybe the mouth was the same too. Definitely not the nose. Damn. She'd gotten the horrible man's nose. Her coffee maker bleeped out, reminding her she was making a pot. She poured it into two mugs and sat across from Amy, who took her mug gratefully.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" Tara asked.

"I do. An apartment," Amy answered. She hadn't technically told the landlord she was leaving yet, so that was a bonus.

"Bobby said you were leaving?"

"I had thought about it."

"Packing up and leaving with everything sounds like more than just thinking about it," Tara pointed out.

"You're sharp, aren't you?" Amy asked.

"I am with the FBI," Tara joked. Amy laughed along with her.

"Okay. Yes, I was going to leave. Then your friend told me about you, and that changed things," Amy replied.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to know you," Amy answered truthfully. "I did. Yes, it scared me at first and brought up horrible memories, but I decided you were worth more than that. I'm glad you let me come in today."

"Small steps," Tara said. "We're not going to just jump into this."

"No, we're not. I agree," Amy responded. She scribbled on a piece of paper. "Here is my number. Call me when you want to see me again." She slid it across to Tara, who took it gingerly.

"You're going?" she asked when Amy stood up.

"I think I've overwhelmed you enough for one day," Amy answered. "Don't you think?"

"Yea. You kind of have," Tara admitted.

"Baby steps," Amy smiled. She wanted to hug Tara, she really did, but she fought the urge. "I'll see you again?"

"Yea. I think you will," Tara said, giving her a small smile.

"Okay. Bye Bobby!" Amy called as she went out the door.

"Bye!" he called back. In the silence afterwards, Tara heard her bedroom door open, and Bobby appeared.

"Hey," he said, leaning on the door frame.

"Hey," she replied.

"So?"

"I feel...weird," Tara confessed.

"That's to be expected," he nodded.

"So what, now I can just call her up and be all, 'Hey, Mom! Let's hang out?'" Tara asked. "That just seems weird to me."

"Small steps, remember? Keep it simple," Bobby told her. Tara sighed heavily. She knew he was right. Everything Amy had told her was swirling in her head. Her mother had experienced emotional pain just like she had. In some way, that connected them, and Tara wasn't sure how she felt about that.

 **John**

He kept sifting through the photos from street cameras. There just wasn't a very clear shot of the driver of that SUV. It was driving him mad. After hours of getting nowhere, he got angry and threw the photos away from him. They scattered all over the floor and blew around with the draft when Charlie came in.

"Whoa," he said, taking in the mess. "What's up?"

"I want to find out who he is!" John said loudly.

"Who?"

"The guy who killed Jessie! It's driving me nuts! I can't get anything on him," John exhaled heavily, running his hands through his hair and leaving it to stick up like Charlie's.

"Maybe you should just let it go. Chalk it up to someone being in that place at that time," Charlie suggested.

"I can't leave it unfinished. That's not my style," John snapped. Charlie gave him a pointed look.

"Some things you have to leave unfinished," he said softly. John looked up at him, getting his meaning.

"I know, bud. I'm just frustrated," he sighed.

"Go home. Hang out with Jane and Maddy. Clear your head, and try again tomorrow," Charlie instructed.

"When did you become so responsible?" John teased.

"When I found out I'm going to be a dad," Charlie answered. He sat on the corner of John's desk.

"You okay?" John asked.

"I'm scared shitless, John," Charlie confessed. "I am not father material."

"Pfft! Says who?! Of all of us boys, you were the most logical one and looked out for us," John pointed out. "I was hot headed. Billy was stubborn. You were thoughtful."

"Oh stop," Charlie scoffed.

"It's true! You will be a fine father, Charlie, and don't you forget it," John said, wagging his finger at him.

"I haven't told Mom and Dad yet," Charlie said.

"She'll be thrilled to get her first grandchild," John responded.

"Um, Maddy?" Charlie reminded him.

"Maddy doesn't count cos she's not 'technically' mine," John answered. Charlie's eyebrows flew up to his hairline.

"WHAT?!"

"She pretty much worded it that way," John finished.

"That's...bad," Charlie said, looking for the right word.

"That's Mom," John chuckled. "It's okay. I'm over it. That was a few years ago now. If it's any consolation, she felt pretty awful right after she said it."

"Still doesn't take it back," Charlie said.

"No, but it helped me move on from it," John muttered. He got up and grabbed his coat. Charlie scooped up the photos and handed them to John, who chucked them into his drawer.

"Another day," Charlie said, patting his shoulder heartily.

"Yup," John agreed. They walked out together, chatting about whether or not John was going to have babysitting privileges.

 **Myles**

He wasn't sure how he got here. One minute he was looking at the piece of paper with her name and number on it, and the next, he was sitting at a restaurant waiting for her to show up. What had happened to the middle part? He couldn't remember what made him call. He figured things with Lucy were over anyway, so why not live his life? A piece of him still felt bad, though, and he couldn't shake that feeling. When Jeanine showed up looking lovelier than ever, Myles wondered just what he'd gotten himself into.

 **Jack & Sue**

"I think Lucy is upset about Myles," Sue said. They were going for their daily walk, and this had been on Sue's mind all day ever since she found out Lucy had taken a break from Myles.

"I think you're right," Jack agreed. He waited for her to say more, and it wasn't for almost another block.

"Is it mean of me to wish that she'd find someone else?" Sue asked. "I never got the feeling Myles and her were soulmates."

"It's not mean. It's you wanting your friend to feel happy," Jack answered. "And I agree with you, Myles isn't really someone I picture Lucy with forever."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one," Sue breathed in relief.

"I think they're better as friends, but if they work it out, then I'm happy for them," Jack finished.

"Me too," Sue nodded. They kept walking, waiting for Levi to make up his mind which tree he wanted to relieve himself on.

"There's something going on with Bobby and Tara," Jack said after a while.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I can just tell. He's keeping a secret, and that's fine, but I want to know," Jack finished with a laugh. "Makes me a nosy parker doesn't it?"

"You're far from that," Sue giggled. "I think because he's your best friend, you're used to sharing everything, and now he's not."

"That's probably it," Jack nodded.

"You don't tell him stuff about me, do you?" she asked, curious.

"No! Of course not," Jack replied seriously.

"Okay good," she laughed. He squeezed her hand, laughing as well, and they continued on their way.

 **Dimitrius**

Things were starting to settle in his family. D still had to calm his children down after a bad nightmare, but they weren't every night anymore. He and Donna had looked into a therapist to help them work through the trauma, and they had found one. D himself was considering seeing the woman for his own sanity. Donna definitely was.

"I'm sorry I let this happen," D said. This had been on his mind a lot lately. Donna put down her book and looked at him.

"You didn't let anything happen," she reassured him. "You took us somewhere safe, and it was breached. That was not your fault."

"Maybe not, but I should have been there instead of going out there looking for them," D sighed.

"Baby, you were doing your job," Donna insisted. "I do not blame you at all, and neither do the kids."

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Not at all! Look, I think it would have happened anyway whether you were there or not. You did the best you could, and that's all I ever ask for," she told him. He nodded eventually, taking in what she was saying.

"I think I will talk to her. The therapist," D added.

"Okay," Donna smiled. "I think that's a good idea."

 **Bobby**

He had left Tara at her apartment thinking about her visit with her biological mother. He had to go home and shower and change anyhow. She had started talking about moving in with him again, and it gave him hope. She also mentioned possibly telling the others about her being adopted, and that made him feel relief. He wasn't one for keeping secrets from Jack, especially a big one like that, but he loved Tara and respected her, so he kept quiet. Everyone missed her at work, and he knew that she was running out of vacation, sick, and bereavement days. He hoped she would be all right enough to get back into it all.

"Bobby?"

"Geez!" he yelped, dropping his keys. He had been about to go inside. He swiveled to see Amy standing there. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry. I followed you," Amy added. "Can I talk to you?"

"I guess," he said, opening his door finally. Once inside, he showed her where the living room was. She perched at the edge of the couch, her hands folded on her knees.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked. "You're not gonna take off again are you?" He felt his heart sink.

"No, no! I wouldn't do that. I just wanted to get to know my daughter's boyfriend a little better," Amy said.

"Are you sure? Or are you really here to learn more about Tara?" Bobby inquired.

"Maybe both?" Amy stated. She gave him a look that showed conflicted feelings.

"Well, I'm not at liberty to tell you anything about Tara. That's up to you to find out on your own," Bobby said firmly. "And me, well I'm just an Australian guy who is in love with Tara."

"It's serious then?" She wanted to know.

"I believe so," he nodded.

"Good. You're a good man. That makes me feel better that this whole thing didn't mess up her ability to love," Amy smiled.

"Nah. She's pretty strong in that department," Bobby grinned. "Can I get you anything?" He stood up to go to the kitchen.

"No, thank you. I should go. You're right. I should be finding things out from Tara, not you. Thank you for helping me see that," Amy said, getting up to leave. Bobby followed her to the door.

"I think she'll call you," Bobby said.

"Yea?" Amy asked. "I really hope so."

"Give her some time," Bobby advised.

"I will," Amy smiled. She went out the door and then paused, turning back. "Thank you, Bobby, for telling me about her and for encouraging me to stay."

"My pleasure," Bobby bowed his head. She smiled again and went down to her car. He watched her get in and drive away before going back inside. He felt confident that Amy was in it for the long haul.

* * *

 **I hope this story is still interesting and enjoyable for you guys. I have some new ideas that I'm going to incorporate into the next few chapters. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**2 Weeks Later**

Tara turned the piece of paper with her mother's phone number over and over in her hands. She had picked it up and put it down multiple times in the last two weeks. She wanted to call her, and then she didn't. Bobby had been encouraging and supportive. She couldn't have asked for a better cheerleader. She knew a piece of him wanted to call Amy for her, but he respected her enough to let her make her own decision about it. He was watching her now, tapping his finger on his coffee mug absently and wrinkling his forehead in that way that made Tara want to smooth it out with her hand. A part of her suspected he was in contact with Amy, but he never voiced it. Then she called herself crazy for thinking he would talk to Amy and not tell her. Bobby wasn't like that.  
"I'm gonna do it," she said finally after spending what felt like hours thinking about it.  
"That's great, love," Bobby smiled. He nudged the phone over to her across the table. She picked it up and took a deep breath. Then she dialed.

 **Jack**

"Only five more weeks eh buddy?" D said, nudging Jack with his elbow. It was after hours, and Jack wanted to finish up some paperwork before going home. D had also stayed to finish some work.

"Yup," Jack grinned.

"You nervous?"

"To spend the rest of my life with the best woman on Earth? No. Not at all," Jack answered.

"That's good," D smiled. "I was so nervous that I dropped Donna's ring during the ceremony. Twice."

"Ohh," Jack winced.

"Yea. The minister made a joke out of it," D chuckled, thinking about it. "That day is still vivid in my mind as though it happened yesterday. I'll never forget feeling so proud that Donna was my wife."

"Were you ever afraid that you'd let her down?" Jack asked. He sometimes felt this way, but he was afraid to voice it.

"All the time," D nodded. "But you know what, you're going to sometimes, intentional or not. That's life. We can't be perfect, and the only way to get past it is to grow together and communicate openly. I was always surprised to hear Donna voice the same fears I had, and now I tell her straight up when something like that crosses my mind, and it gets settled before it becomes something huge."

"That is very good advice," Jack said. "I feel like I should give you something in return."

"Just be a good man," D responded. "That's rewarding enough for me and for everyone else." Jack didn't know what else to say, but D eventually went back to his work, leaving him sitting there and going over their conversation in his mind.

 **Maddy**

Things hadn't exactly been the same since the incident at the safe house, not that Maddy would ever let on to anyone. Her father always kept asking her if she was okay, and she always lied and said yes. Inside, she was not okay. She could still see the eyes of the man she shot. The fear, the pain...all of it. It haunted her dreams. She debated talking to the school counsellor about it, but every time she chickened out. She tried writing about it, but it made it all too real again.

"Hey, Mads," her Dad called as he came in from his evening run. She didn't know how he could run twice a day. It would kill her.

"Hey, Dad," she replied, looking up from her phone.

"Wanna take the ol' automobile for a spin around the block?" he asked. He'd been trying to get her to keep practising driving, but her heart just wasn't into it anymore.

"Not today," Maddy said, looking down so she didn't have to see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Don't stop living, Maddy," he said, making her look up again. "Don't." He held her gaze for a moment, and she felt the tears coming like a dam breaking, but he turned away and was gone before they erupted.

 **Charlie & Tess**

"I can't believe this is our baby," Charlie repeated, turning the sonogram photo this way and that to look at the little peanut. Tess laughed at his facial expression.

"It'll grow," she reassured him.

"I'm well aware of how a baby develops in a womb," he laughed. He kept looking at the photo. This was his baby. This was the little person he was going to love and protect with all his heart and as fiercely as he could.

"Hey, you wanna..." Tess trailed off, gesturing upstairs.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes," she giggled.

"You can do that still?"

"Charlie! I'm pregnant not broken," she laughed.

"Okay, all right," he nodded. "And I won't hurt it?"

"Not at all," she promised. She took his hand and led the way. He left the photo on the kitchen table.

"You're sure?" he clarified.

"Yes!"

"Got it," he assured her, giving her a cheeky smile when she looked at him.

 **Amy**

When the phone rang, Amy dived on it like it was her life saver. She had been waiting forever, and this was it. Nobody else called her, so she knew it had to be her.

"Hello?" she said breathlessly.

"Amy?" Jonah asked. His voice sounded far away.

"Jonah?" she said, surprised.

"You're still there then," Jonah noted.

"Yes. How did you get this number?"

"From Sal. You had given it to him, remember?"

"Oh, yes," Amy said. She did remember now.

"He mentioned you declined to join the Ghost Program," Jonah went on. "May I ask why?"

"My daughter," Amy answered truthfully. She heard Jonah inhale and exhale slowly.

"I'm proud of you, Amy," Jonah said.

"Thank you, Jonah," she responded. "Where are you now?"

"I'd rather not say. I've been successfully relocated, and things are well," Jonah told her.

"You're safe?"

"I'm safe," he confirmed.

"Okay. Farewell, dear friend," she said.

"Take care, Amy. Don't let her go," Jonah finished. Then there was dead air. Amy hung up slowly and sat back in her chair. She hadn't known she would ever hear from him again, and now that she had, she wished she had had more to say. She hated losing friends.

 **Tara & Bobby**

"Why can't I do this?!" Tara asked, staring at the phone. She had hung up as soon as she had dialed. Now she was staring at the phone as though it was a bomb about to go off. At least she knew how do disarm a bomb. This she had no idea how to do.

"Are you afraid of getting close to her and she ends up leaving again?" Bobby suggested.

"I...I don't know. Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm afraid of her abandoning me again," Tara agreed. She looked at Bobby sadly.

"Sometimes, you just gotta take that leap," Bobby said softly. "I'm here to catch you if you fall." She stood and leaned across the table to kiss him then. He was such a sweet, wonderful man. She truly was lucky to have him at her side.

 **Sue & Lucy**

Sue was finishing up handwriting the place cards when Lucy came in.

"What do you think?" she asked, holding one up. "Will people be able to read my scrawl?" Lucy bent and examined it closely.

"It's beautiful," she said. "I didn't know you could write like that."

"I still have some secrets up my sleeve," Sue winked. "How was work?" John had encouraged Sue to take some time off to prepare for the wedding and for the honeymoon after. She was only working part time until a week before the wedding. She knew her brother was really getting her prepared for when their mother came. She'd need all the resting periods she could get.

"Ugh, it was long," Lucy sighed, falling onto the couch. "I think Myles is seeing someone."

"I'm sorry," Sue said. "Did I read that correctly? Myles is seeing someone?"

"I think so," Lucy nodded. "He was on his phone a lot and smiling at it. I recognized the moony look a guy who's met someone has when they're talking to them."

"I'm sorry," Sue signed. Lucy waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't be," she said. "I really think he was overwhelmed from the whole...experience at that cottage, and he made a decision based on fleeting feelings. It sucks, yes, but I don't know if I was ever going to fully trust him again anyway."

"Trust is important," Sue agreed.

"Yea," Lucy said. It still hurt that Myles had moved on so quickly. It just proved her theory, though.

"I think I've gotten everything pretty much ready aside from these," Sue said, looking at the place cards.

"You are phenomenal," Lucy laughed. "When I get married, can you do everything for me?"

"I'll think about it," Sue teased. "Small is simple, though. That was my advantage."

"Mmm true," Lucy agreed. She was so happy for Sue and Jack. It made her feel guilty for being a tiny bit jealous. She wished she had someone who adored her and loved her the way Jack loved Sue. She sighed. As the saying goes: Maybe one day.

 **John & Jane**

"Maddy seem off to you?" John asked, coming up to Jane, who was cooking. He gave her a big kiss on the cheek as he folded his arms around her from behind.

"She's quieter than normal if that's what you mean," Jane replied. "Why?"

"I think she's still struggling with what happened at the safe house," John explained. "She won't admit it."

"I know her pretty well. She'll still be processing. She'll eventually get to the point where she'll let it go," Jane promised.

"And if she doesn't?" John prompted.

"Then we'll start to worry."

 **Myles**

Jeanine was so fun. She made him laugh, and he didn't feel like he needed to work hard to be someone he wasn't. He felt a twinge of guilt that he had lost the connection with Lucy, but if she couldn't trust him, then there could be no relationship. Jeanine made him forget about the troubles of being an FBI agent. He felt like a normal U.S. citizen who had an ordinary, crime free life. He believed Lucy knew something was up since every time she looked at him today, he was on his phone texting Jeanine. He knew she'd figure it out. Myles sighed as he looked at his watch. Jeanine would be there soon. He didn't want to think about Lucy anymore.

 **Amy**

The phone rang again, and again, Amy lunged for it eagerly. This time, it was her.

"Hi," Tara's voice said. It sounded uncertain.

"Hi yourself," Amy replied.

"I'm sorry I took so long..."

"Don't be! I understand me coming to your door was overwhelming," Amy said.

"So, what now?" Tara asked.

"Lunch?" Amy suggested.

"Okay," Tara agreed. "When?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Sure." They named the location and hung up. Amy felt a sense of relief and joy. Her daughter wanted to see her again after all.

 **Jack & D**

They finally called it a night. Jack was anxious to see Sue. He hadn't seen her yesterday due to a case, and he really missed her. Dimitrius was just as anxious to get home. Donna had called and said the children were asking for him.

"You okay?" Jack asked as they neared the exit. "You look exhausted. Want a ride?"

"Nah," D replied. "I'll be all right." They stepped out into the rain.

"See you tomorrow!" Jack called. "Drive safe!"

"You too!" D shouted over the rain. He got into his car and started it. He said a quick prayer for a safe drive home, and he threw the car into drive.

 **Bobby**

He knew Tara was going to be all right. She couldn't stop smiling after talking to Amy. She had even showered him with some attention he hadn't received in a while.

"Can we tell people?" Bobby asked afterwards. "Jack knows I'm hiding something, and he's gonna ask me eventually, and I'm afraid I'll break."

"Soon," Tara replied. "I promise."

"Okay. Hey, did Sue ask you about being a bridesmaid?" Bobby asked.

"She did," Tara nodded. "I said yes. I also apologized for disappearing off the face of the Earth for a while."

"They understood," Bobby reassured her.

"I know. They are the best of friends," Tara sighed happily. She linked her fingers with his, and he kissed the back of her hand. They were cuddled together on her bed.

"So," Bobby started. "Have you thought about what we had planned a while ago?"

"Us moving in together?" Tara asked.

"Yea. No rush, but I just wondered if you still even wanted to do that," Bobby said.

"Of course! I don't really see why not. I mean, Dad's gone, and you're here 90 percent of the time anyway. I'd like to revisit that again," she smiled.

"Sounds great," Bobby grinned. They kissed for a while before Bobby's phone rang.

"Let it go to voicemail," Tara breathed.

"It looks important," Bobby said. He pulled away from her reluctantly to answer. "Yea?"

"Bobby Manning?" the voice asked.

"This is he," Bobby answered. He listened, and the more he heard, the more his heart sank. Tara was looking at him curiously. When he hung up, he bit his fist. Then he got up and threw his clothes on hurriedly.

"What's wrong?" Tara asked, getting up to follow suit.

"It's D. He's been in an accident."


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter is inspired by the songs "Us," "Dr. K," and "Meet Your Father," and "Between the Days" by Siddhartha Khosla.**

* * *

As soon as Jack saw Sue, he knew something was wrong. Lucy was hurrying around in the background getting ready to go somewhere. Sue was already at the door with her shoes on.

"What's happened?" Jack asked, feeling very worried suddenly.

"D was in an accident," Sue told him. He felt like he'd been sucker punched in the gut. D? He had literally just seen him!

"W-what...how?" Jack asked, confused.

"Someone ran a red light, and since the roads were so wet, they couldn't stop in time," Sue explained.

"Is he...?"

"We don't know. Bobby just told us to get to the hospital," Sue said. She reached out and grabbed Jack's hand, scared.

"I'm going to look after the children," Lucy said. "Donna couldn't get anyone on such short notice, and she's hysterical. Obviously they shouldn't be there if it's not going to be good."

"You need a ride?" Jack asked.

"No. You guys go. Please keep me posted," Lucy added.

"We will," Sue promised. Her throat was tight. She kept picturing D from the last time she saw him when she had met Jack for lunch at the bull pen last week.

She had noticed he looked stressed, but he kept on smiling. She desperately hoped he was all right.

 **Bobby**

He ran down the halls on shaky legs. Tara was right behind him. He pushed past people and found someone who could direct him to where D was.

"He's in surgery," a nurse said. Bobby felt himself deflate. Surgery?! Tara was at a huff behind him.

"He's gonna be okay, right?" Tara asked between pants.

"We'll know better once he's out of surgery," the nurse told them. Then she walked away.

"Fat lot of help she was," Bobby complained. They sat down on chairs that lined the wall.

"How come you got a phone call?" Tara asked, curious. "Shouldn't Donna have been first?"

"I used to be his emergency contact for a while," Bobby explained. "Guess he never took me off. Or else Donna didn't answer the phone."

"I feel sick," Tara whispered. Bobby took her hand in his and held on tightly.

"He'll be all right. He will be," Bobby kept saying. He shot a thousand prayers upward to God. He had to be listening, He just had to be.

"Where is he?!" Donna asked, suddenly in front of them. She looked terrible. Her face was tear streaked and her sweater was buttoned all cockeyed. She looked as though she had been woken from a deep sleep.

"He's in surgery," Bobby told her. Donna's knees gave way, and Bobby, realizing what was coming, leaped to his feet to catch her as she collapsed.

"Get some water," he instructed Tara as he held Donna up. She started sobbing hard. Tara hurried to do what he asked.

"Donna, listen to me," Bobby said. "He's in God's hands, all right? God will protect him. He won't let his best man die when he has so much left to offer this world."

"Oh," Donna cried harder. Tara came back with the water, which Donna managed to take from her. She sipped with shaky hands, and more water hit the floor than her mouth. She couldn't believe she had missed the phone call. She had put her headphones in for a few minutes for exercise while the kids were playing in the basement. Of all times to miss a phone call. She kept beating herself up over it.

"What happened?" Myles asked, coming into view. He had a woman with him who looked unsure if she should be there with him. Bobby ignored her for now.

"We don't really know, mate. He's in surgery," Bobby told him. Myles looked unwell suddenly. The woman put her hand on his back and started moving it in comforting circles.

"Here," Tara said, taking Donna from Bobby and helping her sit. She held Donna's hand while Donna tried to finish her water.

"We're here," Jack panted. Sue and Levi were on his heels. Bobby shared the information he had.

"Where's Lucy?" Myles asked, noticing.

"She's with the kids," Donna answered. Myles didn't respond to this. He hadn't even thought about Jeanine meeting Lucy until this moment, and now he felt relieved he wouldn't have to experience it. They all sat on the chairs and tried to keep their minds off of the worst outcome that could possibly come true.

 **Later**

"Mrs. Gans?" Donna looked up to see a doctor wearing scrubs standing in front of her.

"Yes?"

"Your husband is stable. He's in recovery. Thankfully, none of his injuries were life threatening. He was impaled with an object from the accident, that is why he went into surgery. We had to stop the bleeding and seal the wound. He should be able to go home in a day or two. We just need to assess if there is any brain damage and monitor for brain bleeds," the doctor finished.

"Oh," Donna gasped when she heard the words "brain bleed."

"It's a precaution," the doctor reassured her. "Standard procedure. You can go see him, but he is still sleeping off the anesthetic."

"Okay," she whispered. The doctor nodded, his job done, and he walked away. The others slowly released the breaths they had been holding.

"Thank God," Tara said softly. Everyone silently agreed with her. God had been gracious. They let Donna go see D first.

"I can't believe this happened," Sue said.

"Me either," Bobby agreed.

"I was just with him," Jack said. "He was fine."

"It happens fast," Myles pointed out. Jeanine had left a while ago as there was nothing she could do, and she felt awkward around a bunch of people she didn't know in a situation like this.

"It does," Tara nodded. She thought of her Dad. One minute he was there. The next, gone.

"He won't have brain damage will he?" Sue asked, worried.

"They didn't say there was, but I guess we won't know until he wakes up," Jack answered. He desperately hoped not. D was one of a kind. He couldn't imagine his friend acting like someone else.

 **Dimitrius & Donna**

Donna crept into the room. The sounds of the machines beeping made her feel nauseous again. She flashed back to her grandfather lying in a hospital bed dying, and she immediately shook her head to get it out. Dimitrius was not dying. Not on her watch. She went and stood over him, watching him breathe in and out. She thanked God he wasn't in a coma. She reached out and touched his cheek gingerly. She wanted him to open his eyes and talk to her, reassure her he was all right. D was always good at reassuring her about things. Even after the whole incident at the safe house, Donna felt assured they were safe at home because of D. She couldn't imagine life without him. D groaned a little then.

"Dimitrius?" Donna whispered. His eyes fluttered briefly before slowly opening. "Hi, baby."

"Donna?" His voice was hoarse.

"Yes, it's me," she nodded.

"Where am I?" he asked. His eyes swept across his surroundings, and his face showed recognition that he wasn't at home.

"You're at the hospital. You were in an accident," Donna told him. "The doctors had to fix you up, and now they're just monitoring you for a while to make sure there's no further damage."

"Oh," he said. Then his face grew worried. "The kids?!"

"They're with Lucy. They don't know what happened yet. I wanted to make sure you were all right before telling them," Donna explained.

"Okay," he nodded, wincing. Everything hurt. He felt like he'd been slammed against a wall a thousand times. He tried to remember the accident. All he could see in his mind was rain and a green light. The sensation of being thrown and rolled was vaguely there too.

"Baby?" Donna asked. He turned to look at her. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he said as she bent down to kiss his forehead.

"Knock, knock," Bobby's voice called. Donna turned to look. "Can we come in yet?"

"Sure," she nodded. Bobby came through first. They were strictly instructed only one person at a time by the nurse.

"Hey, mate," Bobby said. "Glad to see you're awake."

"Yea," D agreed.

"Gave us all a scare," Bobby went on. "You know it's not your time yet, right?"

"I know," D tried to chuckle. The effort was painful. Bobby didn't stay long, and one by one each of the team came and talked to him. John and Charlie had come when they heard the news, and they spent a few moments talking to D to make sure he was indeed all right. Jack went last.

"You really scared me," he said.

"I'm sorry," D apologized.

"Don't be sorry. I just...I had a sudden vision of life without you, and it really sucked," Jack said with a pained smile.

"Are you saying I'm the glue that holds us together?" D asked, joking.

"You might say that," Jack agreed. They chatted a bit more until the nurse came back and ushered Jack out, stating D needed rest. Donna came back in to say goodbye. She was going home to see the kids and tell them what had happened. She knew she was in for a long night.

 **John**

The drive home was a somber one. He and Charlie didn't have much to say, but he knew Charlie was thinking about the last time they had been to a hospital.

"You gonna be all right?" John asked when they were sitting in Charlie's driveway. His brother breathed in deeply.

"Yea," he answered eventually. "That just was the first time I've been in a hospital since..." He trailed off.

"I know," John said. "But better now than when your wife is having a baby." Charlie nodded. This was true. He hadn't thought of that.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Charlie said, getting out. Once John was back on the road, he turned up his stereo. "Kola" by Damien Jurado surrounded him as he drove through the darkness. He would never admit to anyone that he liked melancholic music since his mother was always teased about it by their father. It allowed his mind to wander into imagination. He was worried about Maddy. She had withdrawn so much, and it seemed like nothing he did or said could pull her out. He knew Jane was worried too. It was very unlike their daughter to stay in her room so much. He knew she needed professional help, and that was his next move he was going to propose to Maddy. He just hoped she would say yes. The drive felt so much longer in the dark.

 **Charlie**

He stood in the doorway fighting the feeling of anxiety. Being in the hospital that night had brought it all back. He could barely breathe. He slid down the door until he was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest.

"Charlie?" Tess asked, coming into view. She was drying her hands with a towel from doing the dishes. One look at her husband sitting on the floor and she knew he was in trouble. She threw the towel behind her and rushed over to him, kneeling in front of him.

"Charlie?" she asked again. He finally met her eyes. "You're scaring me."

"I just..." he started. She waited. "I can still see him, Tess. The last time I talked to him. He was so upset over what he'd done, and I just left him there. I should have stayed. I should have made him talk it out."

"Charlie..."

"I should have gone for a run with him. I shouldn't have left him alone. What is wrong with me?!" Charlie asked. These were the questions he wasn't brave enough to ask his therapist. They ate him alive every single day.

"Charlie, listen to me. You couldn't have known. You did try to talk to him. You know Billy, he wasn't one for listening most of the time. You can't beat yourself up over this anymore," Tess urged, touching Charlie's tear stained face.

"I want to agree with you, but I can't right now," he choked out.

"Then just let me hold you," she said. He nodded, and she moved to sit beside him and pulled him to her, letting him cry.

 **Sue & Jack**

When Jack took her home, Sue knew he was struggling with what had happened. She sat in the car, waiting for him to speak.

"Life is just so fragile," he said finally. "I mean, I knew that when your brother died, but with D..."

"He's close to you," Sue finished for him. "Like Billy was with me. When they're close to you, it's harder."

"Yea," Jack agreed, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "I understand more fully now." He had always been there for Sue after her brother died, but it didn't affect him as much as it did her, and he knew why. Billy was someone he'd only known for a brief time, but he still felt bad that it he wasn't as upset about it. Now, he understood. He got it. D was like a brother to him, and if he lost him... Jack couldn't finish that thought.

"I love you," Sue said quietly. "And D is all right."

"Why did it have to happen at all?" Jack asked. "I don't get it."

"We never truly understand why these things happen," Sue answered. She touched his face gently.

"I guess you're right," Jack agreed. He inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes," she smiled. She and Lucy planned to make some dinners for Donna to help out. They exchanged I love yous, and Sue got out of the car. She saw that Lucy was now home, so when she went inside, she wasn't surprised to see her friend crying.

"He's okay, Luce," Sue reassured her.

"I know. I just...the kids. When Donna told them..." Lucy trailed off. "It was just...hard." Sue didn't know what to say, so she simply pulled her friend into a big embrace. Sometimes that's all you could do for someone.

 **Bobby & Tara**

"Wow," Tara said when Bobby walked her to her door. "I was not expecting that ending tonight."

"Me either," Bobby agreed. Tara fiddled with her keys.

"I want to meet him," Tara spit out suddenly. Bobby cocked his head at her.

"Who?"

"My biological father. I want to see this monster for myself," Tara answered. "Is that wrong?"

"Well...I don't know," Bobby admitted. "Are you sure you want to see him, knowing what he did?"

"Yes. I want to know what he looks like. I don't know why," Tara replied.

"Do you actually want to talk to him?"

"No. I just want to see him. I'm curious if I look like him," Tara answered.

"You want me to go with you?" Bobby asked.

"I think I can do it alone," she told him. "But thank you."

"Are you gonna tell Amy?"

"I don't know," Tara confessed. She had thought about what this would do to her birth mother, but she still wanted to see this man anyway. "It's not like I'm going to have a coffee with him and be all chummy. He hurt her after all."

"You don't have to justify it to me," Bobby assured her. She smiled and pulled him into a kiss.

"I'm glad you get me," she whispered after.

"I understand because even after my biological father abandoned me, I still wanted to know him," Bobby explained. "It's human to be curious. Don't let him hurt you, though."

"I won't," she promised.

 **Maddy**

She knew her parents were trying, and she really wanted to just hop and skip and be happy, but this new darkness that was hovering over her just wouldn't leave. She did her best to rationalize her actions, that she saved people, but it still haunted her. She tried to forget, but the man's face haunted her dreams. She tried to pretend nothing happened, but then something on the news or something her parents said about work would bring it all up. She tried journaling and reading and zoning out with TV, but nothing was helping. Maddy was beginning to feel hopeless. She couldn't talk about it with her friends. Her father would just tell her she did the right thing, and her mother would try to get her to talk about her feelings. None of it was something she wanted. She sat on her bed and allowed the sadness and hatred towards herself sink in again. They had become her best friends because they understood her.

 **Dimitrius**

His room was quiet after everyone left. The nurse had done a check in and left, and now D was all by himself. He was lying there thinking about his life. The past while hadn't been the greatest, and he blamed himself for not being a better father for his children, protecting them when they were in danger. The self blame was starting to eat away at him, and he wanted to tell Donna how badly it was affecting him, but he couldn't. He made a promise to himself that once he was home, he would get help. He'd been putting it off, but now he realized he needed to talk to someone. He closed his eyes and began to fall asleep. Life would eventually become good again, he knew it.

* * *

 **I hope I'm slightly forgiven for giving you all a scare. It was never a plan to let D die, I promise. There's gonna be a little bit more drama in the next few chapters. Thought I'd let you know now, but ultimately, this story will have a happy ending!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I haven't forgotten about this story I promise! Here's an update for you :)**

* * *

 **A Week Later**

Bobby was whistling to himself as he poured a cup of coffee. Tara was out for lunch with Amy, which is something they started doing right after D's accident. Tara hadn't wanted to cancel, so she went and discovered that she enjoyed Amy's company. Tara had confided in Bobby that she was worried about upsetting Amy about wanting to see her biological father, so she didn't bring it up in conversation.

"Can these last four weeks just hurry up already?" Jack asked, coming up beside Bobby, who grinned in response.

"Four weeks, eh?" he commented.

"Yes. It feels like forever."

"It'll be gone before you know it and then you'll be 20 years down the road looking back and saying, 'Where did that time go?'" Bobby teased.

"You're right," Jack agreed, reaching for a donut. Bobby caught his arm first.

"Eat like that and you won't be around in 20 years," he joked.

"Okay, Mom," Jack laughed. He waited for Bobby to be turned around before snagging a donut anyway.

"I saw that!" Bobby called without turning around. Jack just smirked to himself as he stuffed the pastry into his mouth further.

"Very attractive," Myles commented as he walked past.

"Phanks," Jack said through his mouthful.

"Okay ladies and gentleme-" Dimitrius paused, looking around. "Okay, just gentlemen then. I got a case for us."

"Shouldn't you still be at home resting?" Bobby asked.

"I've had enough rest to drive me nuts," D answered. "I'm only half days until I'm fully recovered. Also only desk duty."

"At least Garrett has his head on straight," Bobby muttered. Their boss was good at making sure injured workers weren't overdoing it.

"So, whaddya got?" Jack asked, washing his donut down with coffee.

"A superhero gone rogue," D replied, flipping through the chart in his hand.

"A who gone what?" Myles questioned, confused. "Did I hear that correctly?"

"Yes, you did. Now, as you know, I'm a huge fan of superheroes, but when they start beating up people until they're almost dead, then I have a problem," D said.

"Let me see," Jack said, plucking the file from D's hands. He frowned as he read it. The images were gory too.

"It's not another Kick Ass copycat is it?" Bobby asked, worried. That film had really done a number for a while with random people running around dressed like superheroes and wreaking havoc.

"No, this stuff is just cruel," Jack commented, passing the folder to him. Bobby whistled as he flipped through.

"Weapon of choice?" Myles asked, craning to see over Bobby's shoulder.

"A hoe," Bobby answered.

"Whoa," Myles said, holding his hand up.

"Not that. An actual hoe," Bobby said, showing him. "Along with a rake. Seems our superhero likes to do gardening."

"What's their name? Super Spinach? Catastrophic Carrot?" Jack asked, laughing.

"'Killer Kale,'" Bobby read.

"Are you serious?!" Jack yelped.

"Like Killer Whale I suppose," Myles mused. "Has a ring to it."

"This person sounds like they belong in a mental hospital," Jack went on, ignoring Myles.

"It's up to us to find them. We don't know if it's a male or a female yet. They seem to like to break up gang fights," D explained.

"Super," Bobby chirped. "Well, I guess we go looking for some gangs."

"Maybe Howie will know something," Jack suggested, picking up the phone to call their informant.

 **Tara & Amy**

"How's your friend?" Amy asked, sipping her tea.

"He's better. He came back to work today. Honestly, he can't be held down for long," Tara laughed.

"Being busy is helpful sometimes," Amy nodded. Tara fiddled with her mug handle before finally deciding to just say it.

"I want to meet him," she blurted out. Amy didn't even flinch.

"Of course you do," she said simply.

"Wait, you're not upset?" Tara asked.

"No. It's only natural to want to know where you came from. I was waiting for you to bring it up," Amy said.

"I was afraid to," Tara admitted. Amy reached over and took her hand in hers.

"Don't be afraid that I'm going to be hurt. I would want the same thing if I were you."

"Okay." Tara felt immensely relieved. "Where does he work?" Amy told her, and she wrote it down. She put it in her wallet for safe keeping. When she was feeling brave enough, she was going to go see him.

 **Sue & Lucy **

"You know, I really miss you working at our office," Lucy said. She was having lunch with Sue.

"We still live together," Sue laughed.

"Not for long," Lucy sighed. "I'm really going to miss you being with me."

"We'll still spend time together," Sue promised. Lucy smiled half-heartedly back.

"It won't be the same."

"Then we'll have sleep overs," Sue teased, her eyes shining. She wanted her friend to feel better. She knew that with Myles dating again, Lucy was feeling blue.

"Okay," Lucy agreed. "I'll hold you to that!"

"Sounds good."

"Is Jack excited?"

"More than me I think, and I didn't think that would be possible," Sue laughed. "We are both very excited."

"You'll be so happy finally being together," Lucy grinned. "I really am happy for you despite being sad that I'm losing you as a roommate."

"I know."

"So tell me about your final wedding plans," Lucy suggested. They spent the rest of lunch chatting about last minute details. Sue tried not to feel sad about leaving Lucy behind, and she knew her friend wouldn't make her feel that way. She hoped that after the wedding, they'd still be close.

 **Later-John**

Maddy wasn't responding to anything he was putting out there to do for fun. She receded into her room constantly and ignored small talk. This was getting serious. He had a card in his hand with a name of a therapist on it, and he knocked at her door.

"Come in."

"Hey," he said, opening the door. Maddy was on her stomach on her bed, reading.

"Hi."

"Look, I'm just gonna cut to the chase here. Your mom and I have noticed that you haven't been yourself for a while now since the incident, and we're getting concerned..."

"Don't," she cut him off. "I'm fine."

"I disagree," John said firmly. "Here's someone you could call. It's confidential. Your mom and I don't want to know anything about it if you don't want us to. I really think you should try it." Maddy took the card from him and peered at it.

"A shrink, huh?" she commented.

"If you won't talk to us, then yea, a shrink," John nodded.

"Fine," she sighed.

"You can talk to us, you know that right?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Wanna talk now?"

"No, Dad. I want to be alone."

"Okay," he said after a beat. He left her alone as per her wishes. He felt a tiny bit of success since she took the card and didn't just rip it up in front of him. Maybe she'd actually consider it after all.

 **Charlie & Tess**

"I'm jealous," Charlie said, coming up behind Tess as she washed dishes and hugging her. He kissed her neck.

"Why's that?" she asked, smiling.

"You get to have this incredible bond with the baby, and I don't," he answered. "I mean, I'm just the Dad. Sure I could talk to him or her in there, but it's not the same. You get to feel everything. I envy that."

"Will you still envy me when I have to push our child out through my privates?" she asked, giving him a look. "Cos I'd trade any day."

"No, probably not," he laughed. "I'll be happy to be a bystander at that point."

"Wuss," she teased.

"Yup, I am," he agreed.

"I can't believe your sister is getting married in four weeks!" Tess exclaimed, changing the subject. "I'm so happy for her."

"Me too," he nodded. "Remember our wedding?"

"Late flowers, piano player passed out stone cold drunk, your brothers pranking our car, and your mom telling me that white just wasn't flattering on me," Tess said. "Yes, I remember."

"A fond memory," Charlie commented, laughing.

"Maybe for you. You didn't have to put up with the comments about being a good wife from your mother," Tess pointed out.

"Hey, that got made up by the glitter exploding out of the car fans," Charlie said.

"That got both of us. It doesn't count."

"All right."

"I wish John wasn't already married. I'd have had some real fun messing with him."

"He would have been so paranoid he would have parked the car ten blocks away I'd bet," Charlie laughed. "Billy would have just used a cab or the bus." He said it without thinking, and Tess waited a moment before replying. She knew sometimes talking about Billy made Charlie sad. When he didn't get upset, she continued.

"A bus? He probably would have skydived into the chapel," she laughed.

"You're probably right," he agreed. She hugged him tightly.

"Can you dry these?" she asked, gesturing to the dishes.

"Of course."

"Great. Mama needs to rest for a bit," she smiled, drying her hands and heading to the living room. Charlie mindlessly dried the dishes while thinking about his brothers and the pranks they used to pull together. Maybe that's what he and John needed to do. A real good prank. It was a great thought.

 **A Week Later**

Dimitrius was taking a walk after his therapy session when he saw a figure standing on the railing of a bridge. He froze, unsure of what to do, but then instinct took over.

"Hey there," he called, making the figure turn. His stomach dropped.

"D," Maddy said, her voice shaky. "What are you doing here?"

"I walk here to process my session," he answered. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just enjoying the view," she answered airily.

"Up there?"

"Yup."

"Seems kind of dangerous."

"Yea, well, I like living on the edge. Makes me feel alive," Maddy added. She dared D to say something about what she was doing. She welcomed it. Maybe then she would feel something. He came closer to her, making her tense up.

"You know," he started. "I thought about dying for a little while once in my life."

"Really."

"Yes."

"How come?"

"I was 18, never dated, never had someone special lined up, and I just felt so alone, you know?"

"What happened?"

"The girl I really liked went out with my best friend. I was crushed. It's my own fault cos I never opened my mouth to tell her how I felt, but I thought she'd figured it out, you know?"

"That's rough."

"Tell me about it," D said, leaning against the railing a little ways down from where she was perched. The traffic below whizzed along unaware of what was happening above them. "My grandfather had also just died, and I was so depressed. I didn't know what to do for my career, and I felt so overwhelmed and scared. I started thinking about dying just because I wanted a solution, you know?"

"So what did you think about? How did you want to die?" she asked.

"Well, my father was a hunter, so I thought about using that, but then my mother had pills, and I knew that was a cleaner way to die so to speak. I didn't want to be found in the house, so I went for a walk and spotted a secluded area to do the deed."

"Obviously you changed your mind," Maddy commented, gesturing.

"I did."

"How?"

"I met Donna."

"Right there?"

"Yea. She was on the other side of the tree I was leaning against, and she heard me crying. She asked if I was okay, and I unleashed upon her all my woes and hurt and anger. She listened to all of it. I never thought I'd see her again after that. I don't think she knew what I was planning on doing. I told her years later, and I call her my angel because she really was an angel sent to save me from myself in that dark time of my life," D finished. He looked at Maddy expectantly.

"Are you trying to say that you'll be my angel?" she asked, getting his message.

"Only if you want me to be," he answered. "I know you're struggling with killing that man, and I am here for you to talk to if you want to."

"I can't seem to talk to anyone about it," she said, starting to cry. "I feel like a monster."

"You're not a monster."

"Then how can I stop feeling this way?"

"Look at it as a tragic event that happened when you were trying to save the lives of two young children."

"It wasn't an accident though. I pointed. I shot."

"He knew what he was getting into when he started," D said calmly. "Men like that usually know they will meet an end sooner or later in that particular fashion."

"I feel so empty," she whispered.

"Why don't you come down and we'll go somewhere to talk?" D suggested. Maddy clutched the pole tightly, looking down at the traffic one more time before hopping off and turning to face him.

"Please don't tell anyone about this," she said.

"I won't," he promised. She fell into step beside him, and she unleashed everything, just like D had with Donna all those years ago. D now understood how she felt.

 **Bobby & Tara **

"Tomorrow is the day," Tara said.

"For what?" Bobby asked. He was on her couch with his feet propped on her coffee table. The TV was on mute.

"I'm going to meet my biological father."

"Really?" he said, sitting up straight. "Wow that's great."

"I'm scared," she admitted.

"You want me to come?"

"No. I think I'll be okay. Thanks though," she smiled. Bobby smiled back. Then the news came on, and lo and behold, the buzzing story of the hour was...

"Killer Kale!" Bobby shouted, reaching for his phone. "Jack! Killer Kale is on the rampage!" He jumped up and ran to the door, Tara right behind him. The leaped into his SUV and he floored it.

"I think we're gonna miss it," Tara said as they flew around a corner. The sirens were blaring.

"Not if I can help it," Bobby said through gritted teeth. They'd been trying to get a shot at this guy for a week. They arrived on scene in moments, and sure enough, the bad guy was gone.

"Damn it!" Bobby shouted, banging his hand on the steering wheel.

"Next time," Tara sighed, getting out and heading to the police officer in charge. Jack's SUV ground to a halt across from Bobby, and he hopped out and met Bobby in the middle. They surveyed the mess, and it was a mess. There was a body this time.

"He's gone from wounding to maiming to killing," Jack said. "We gotta get this guy."

"I agree," Bobby nodded. Myles and D showed up within moments.

"The suspect disappeared into thin air," Tara said, coming back from the officer. "No one can figure out where he went."

"It's a he?"

"Eye witness believes so, but it's dusk. Who knows for sure," she shrugged. "Better luck next time."

"I smell a plan," Bobby said, watching Jack.

"We can set it up," Jack said on cue. "Something that will make this guy come out."

"Brilliant," D said. "We'll figure something out tomorrow." He headed back to his car. He needed to get Maddy home.

"Killer Kale strikes again," Myles said, looking around. "I'm sure he's watching us."

"Maybe so," Jack said. "But we'll get him. We always do."

 **Maddy**

"Hey, Mads," John said as she came inside. D had given her his card to call and talk if she needed to. It was tucked in with the therapist's card.

"Hi, Dad," she said, stopping. He waited, holding his breath. Was she gonna come sit or was she gonna go to her room? When she went to sit, he almost gasped in shock.

"What are you watching?" she asked. He barely registered her question so focused was he on her being near him. "Dad?"

"Huh? Oh! National Geographic," he answered.

"Can we watch something funny?"

"Absolutely!" he exclaimed. He flipped channels until The Middle came on. He set down the remote and watched her watch the TV.

"Why are you staring?" she asked, not looking at him. Just like her mother.

"I'm just happy to see you," he answered. She finally looked at him.

"It's good to be back," she said with a ghost of a smile. Then she turned back to the TV. John felt like yelling with happiness. He caught Jane's eye from the kitchen, watching them, and she smiled at him. Yes, things were looking up again.

* * *

 **I will try to update again more regularly. Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**My apologies for not putting a trigger warning on my last chapter. This story has been triggerish since the beginning, so let's just say keep that in mind for each chapter I post lol**

* * *

 **A Week Later**

Tara stood outside the hospital doors. She had tried three times in the past week to step through them and find the man who was her biological father. She didn't have the best memories of this hospital to start with. Bobby's coma, her attack by Jessie, her father dying, and recently, D's accident. Walking in here usually meant something bad was happening. She couldn't shake that feeling. She took a deep breath. It was now or never. The doors slid open smoothly, and she put one foot in front of the other and went inside. The glare of the lights hit her immediately. She paused in the entrance as paramedics rushed past with a stretcher and nurses chasing after them shouting orders at one another. Tara felt her chest tighten. She briefly regretted her decision to not have Bobby with her, but she tightened her resolve and pushed on.

"Can I help you?" the nurse behind the glass asked when Tara approached.

"Yes, I'm looking for a Dr. Ted Billingsley," she said. She had memorized his name after reading it so many times.

"He's on emerg shift right now and is currently in surgery," the nurse said. "Can I leave him your name and contact information? Is this regarding a medical matter?"

"Oh, no it's okay," she said. "I just wanted to meet him." The nurse looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"He's treating one of my family members," Tara lied. "I just wanted to talk to him."  
"Name of the family member?"

"I'll just come back," Tara said, backing away. The nurse kept staring after her until Tara disappeared around the corner. She worked on getting her heart rate back to normal. That had been incredibly awkward. She sat on one of the chairs that lined the wall and rested her head in her hands. How was she going to even find him in this place?

"Everything all right?" a man asked, stopping in front of her. She looked up and saw a doctor looking at her, concerned.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," she answered, nodding. "Just taking a breath."

"Good. It's hard to do sometimes," the doctor said. "Mind if I join you? I've just come out from emergency surgery, and breathing seems like a good plan right now."

"Sure," Tara said. He sat down one chair over from her so as not to invade her personal space. He took a swig from his water bottle. Tara couldn't help but notice a few flecks of red on his coat. It made her feel a little nauseous.

"So what brings you here?" he asked suddenly. "Hopefully nothing too serious."

"I'm just visiting someone," she answered.

"Accident?"

"Yea." Well, in a way it was true.

"I'm sorry," he empathized.

"It's okay. This stuff happens," she said. "You, uh, got some...right there." She pointed at the flecks. He looked down.

"Shit," he said. "I guess he got me before I gowned up. Oh well. I've got another coat here." Tara hoped he wouldn't launch into the story as to why he had blood on him. She didn't think she could stomach it.

"I'm Ted," he said suddenly, extending his hand. Tara froze. It couldn't be...

"Tara," she replied, shaking his hand. She tried to catch a glance of his name on his coat.

"Are you single?" he asked. She almost laughed out loud. "Cos if you are, I'd love to take you out to dinner sometime." Tara debated on what to say. This could be a chance to have time with her father in a less clinical setting. The only downfall was he thought she was attractive. Well, she could let him know halfway through dinner that she was his daughter.

"I'd love to have dinner," she said. She left out the "with you" part.

"Great," he beamed. "Here's my card. Any chance you can write your name and number on it?"

"I can," she said, taking it. There it was. Dr. Ted Billingsley. It was him indeed. She felt shaky suddenly. How she managed to get her number written on it she'd never know.

"Awesome," he grinned. "I'll call you soon." He stood up. "I gotta get back to it I guess. Nice to meet you, Tara."

"Likewise," Tara replied, watching him walk away. She felt like an idiot just then. What had she done?

 **Jack & Sue **

"How do you feel about the whole Bachelor/Bachelorette party thing?" Jack asked, looking at Sue.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I think Lucy is up to something, but I'm not sure what."

"I'm all for clean fun," Jack said.

"Me too. I don't think anyone would plan anything too wild," Sue said. "They do know us well."

"I can't believe we're getting married in three weeks," Jack grinned. "I know I keep saying that, but it feels so surreal." He leaned in to give her a kiss, which she reciprocated gladly. They were at her apartment going over the final touches of their wedding. Lucy was off doing something with her grandmother, which Sue was suspicious it had something to do with the wedding as well. Levi was curled up by her feet and snoring. After a few moments, Jack stopped before things got carried away. It was something else they were looking forward to in three weeks, not that they vocalized it a lot. It was still hovering there, though.

"So," Sue said, feeling flushed.

"Yea," Jack nodded. "Let's get back to this stuff." He tapped the table gently. Three more weeks. He really couldn't wait.

 **Elsewhere**

Paul was cleaning his sniper rifle and humming to himself. Sal had approached him and asked a favor. Joseph had gone rogue, calling himself the Killer Kale and murdering people now. Sal wanted the mess cleaned up before the Ghost Program became known. Paul felt proud that Sal knew he was the guy to call for this type of thing. It meant returning to D.C., but Paul felt confident. He'd get this guy before the FBI did, just like he had with Jessie. Those Homeland Security guys were certainly slow, not to mention the FBI. Paul cranked the bullets into the shaft, hearing the sound reverberate off the walls. It was showtime.

 **The Bull Pen-Next Day**

"Have we got any leads on this guy?" D asked, coming into the bull pen. Bobby, Myles, and Jack were trying to put together some kind of reference map to look at. Tara was busy searching the web. Nothing was coming up.

"The CSIs gave us a partial print, but with nothing to compare it to, we've got nothing," Jack answered.

"So who are his targets?" D asked. "What do we know about his MO?"

"Well, he likes to use a hoe or a rake, and his targets seem to be gangs," Bobby replied. "Has Howie been able to give us anything?"

"No. He hasn't heard anything on the streets," Jack told them.

"What gang hasn't this guy attacked yet?" D asked. They huddled together, trying to find one.

"Here," Myles said. "The Black Cobras. We haven't heard that one come up yet."

"No, you're right," D said, musing.

"It's bound to happen," Jack said. "This guy seems to hunt them."

"Well, let's get some men on them then," D suggested. "We'll catch him before he strikes."

 **John**

He was humming to himself at his desk. Charlie was across from him immersed in a "So You're Gonna Be a Dad" book while Jane was clicking away at her computer keys viciously. John couldn't stop thinking about the switch in Maddy. She even asked to practice driving that night. John couldn't wait.

"Coffee," Sue said, returning with Levi.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" John signed. Sue smirked.

"No, but thanks," she replied. She handed his cup and then passed the others to the rest. She sat down, sipping hers slowly.

"So, Charlie, what are we gonna do to initiate Jack's joining the family?" John asked. Sue caught this.

"Oh no," she said. "You're not."

"We do it for everyone," John protested. "Why not?"

"Because I want him to stay in the family," Sue answered.

"Aw a good old fashioned prank never hurt anyone," Charlie said. "From what I hear, he's into that stuff."

"Is he?" John asked, intrigued.

"Yea. Bobby mentioned something before. I actually have an idea..."

"No," Sue cut him off. "Absolutely not."

"You could help us," Charlie coaxed. "Remember how good of a team we were? Mom was in near hysterics at times."

"You guys," Sue scolded, smirking a little. She did remember. It had been fabulous at times. The punishment after wasn't so great, but the look on their mother's face was worth it.

"Let us get back to you," Charlie said. "John and I need to do some research."

"Just don't hurt him," Sue begged.

"What are we, muggers? Of course we're not gonna hurt him," John scoffed. "Give us some credit."

"And not on the wedding day," Sue warned.

"All right," John agreed. "That's fair."

"I'll make sure it's nothing too dangerous," Jane promised Sue. "You have my word." She looked over at John meaningfully. He stuck his tongue out at her. Yes, things were definitely happier lately. John hoped it would stay that way.

 **Later-Bobby & Tara **

"So, let me get this straight. You met your biological father," Bobby started.

"Uh huh," Tara nodded.

"You guys chatted a little, and then he asked you on a date? And you said yes?" Bobby asked.

"It sounds bad I know," Tara agreed.

"Tara, what do you think he's gonna do when he finds out who you are?" Bobby questioned.

"Be happy?" Tara countered hopefully.

"He's gonna freak out. I'm coming with you," Bobby said.

"You can't! He thinks I'm single!" Tara cried.

"I didn't say I was going to sit at the table with you. I'm going to be at the same place as you so if he flips his wig, I can help you."

"All right," she agreed. "That does sound like a good idea."

"When are you getting picked up?"

"In two hours."

"Geez. Okay. I'll get out of here then. What restaurant?"

Tara filled him in on the details as he put his coat on. He gave her a kiss before leaving. He was worried for her, but there was no way she was doing this alone. He wondered if Amy knew what she was doing.

 **Evening**

"You're FBI?" Ted asked, incredulous. "Really?"

"Yep," she nodded. They were at the restaurant now, waiting for their meals to come.

"Wow. I wouldn't have guessed," he smiled.

"What would you have guessed?" she asked, curious.

"A hair dresser maybe? Or a personal shopper?"

"Those are very girly jobs," Tara noted. Did Ted think that women weren't tough? That they couldn't have more superior jobs than that?

"Well, you know as they used to say, men were the leaders of the household," Ted joked. Tara bristled. She was not liking him the more he talked.

"I see," she said quietly.

"Oh, I've offended you," he said. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," she responded. It really wasn't.

"So what else? Tell me about Tara," Ted smiled. He reached over and touched her hand. Tara felt very creeped out. She caught Bobby's eye from across the room. He looked like he was about to leap up and attack Ted.

"Well," she started. She had an idea. "I was adopted."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he sympathized. "Did your parents die?"

"No. They just didn't want me. My adopted parents are the ones who died," Tara said.

"Gosh. You've had a rough life," Ted said sadly. "I'm sorry." His sadness was so fake, Tara could see that now.

"Well, I'm still here," Tara laughed. "But the funny thing is, I didn't know I was adopted until a few months ago. I have just met my biological mother, and we are starting a relationship."

"Good for you," Ted chirped. He poured himself another glass of wine. "More wine?"

"No thanks."

"So, you're an orphan working at the FBI. That's great," Ted said. "Do you keep a diary about all this stuff?" Tara really didn't like him now. He was dismissing her life story as nothing, and he was mocking her too while he was at it.

"I learned from my biological mother that I was a product of rape," Tara said instead, making Ted set his glass down cautiously.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What an asshole," Ted said. Tara wanted to slap him. He was referring to himself!

"I'm starting to think so too," Tara agreed, looking at him. It took a moment before Ted realized what she was saying.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said. "Back it up here. You think I am your biological father? Like hell I am!" He recoiled from her, getting angry. "What little game are you playing here?"

"You are my biological father," Tara said. "My mother told me so."

"Well, she's a liar," Ted sneered.

"She's no liar, Ted," Amy said, suddenly appearing at their table. Ted looked up at her, seeing her angry face.

"It's you," Ted said. "Of course you had to get pregnant didn't you? What, did you sick her on me as some kind of revenge? It was one time, and you liked it."

"You raped me!" Amy shouted. The restaurant had gone silent now, everyone watching. Bobby was instantly by Tara's side.

"I certainly did not," Ted hissed. "Amy, you are making a scene."

"You want a scene? I'll give you a scene," Amy said, reaching out and slapping him hard.

"Amy, come on," Bobby said, grabbing her and tugging at her to come. Ted stood up abruptly.

"You have some nerve," Ted said angrily. He pointed at Tara. "And you, I don't ever want to see you again!"

"Fine by me," Tara shot at him. She stood and grabbed her coat and purse. The three of them left quickly before anyone called the police. Amy was shaking very hard.

"You've got gall, Amy," Bobby said admiringly. "But you're lucky he's not pressing charges."

"He deserves it. Stinkin' liar," Amy growled.

"I'm sorry, Amy," Tara said. "I shouldn't have done this."

"No, it's okay. Now you know. It's better that you know instead of keep wondering if he's a decent guy."

"He really isn't," Tara said. She hugged Amy. "I'm so sorry you went through all that."

"It's the past. The one thing I always wanted to do I got to do right now," Amy said. "Now I need to get home and put some ice on my hand." Bobby ushered them to his car, and they drove off chatting about the look on Ted's face when Amy first struck him. Tara felt a fondness towards Amy then, and she knew that this relationship was going to go somewhere.

 **Elsewhere**

Paul had heard the chatter. The Black Cobras were being watched, so he decided to do the same. He knew what Joseph looked like from Sal's file. He had that advantage over the authorities. Before long, the problem would be taken care of, and Paul could get back to life as an invisible ghost.

* * *

 **Side note: I just had the best idea for another Sue Thomas Story, so stay tuned and watch for it! :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**11 Days Before the Wedding**

"You really think she has no idea?" Tara asked Lucy.

"Not a clue. This is going to be great!" Lucy squealed. Her grandmother, Alice, smiled from the other room. They were setting up the apartment for Sue's surprise wedding shower. Jane was on Sue duty, waiting for the text telling her to bring Sue back from coffee. Tess and Donna were finishing up with the snacks while Maddy carried all the gifts in from the cars. Sue's mom sent her regrets, but she couldn't make it. She had sent her gift, though.

"Do you think we should have invited more people?" Lucy asked, fretting. There were seven of them, not including Sue, but Lucy wanted it to be perfect.

"Sue likes things small," Tara advised. "I wouldn't worry about it."

"Okay, I'm finished," Maddy said, huffing and out of breath. "What else can I do?"

"Here," Lucy said, handing her a bag of balloons. "Go nuts."

"I have no breath left," Maddy complained.

"I'm sure you can wrangle some up," Tess teased. Maddy gave her a look, but she was smiling. Lucy ran around making sure everything was finished. Tara was on her phone, smiling.

"What?" Lucy asked, noticing.

"Bobby is asking why boys aren't allowed at a wedding shower. He says two people are getting married not just one," Tara laughed. "I think he's jealous and is missing out on the fun."

"Aw poor boy," Lucy grinned. "Tell him we'll save him some cookies." Tara tapped away on her phone.

"Hey, could Amy come?" Tara asked. She had been spending more time with her biological mother since the whole incident with Ted.

"Yes!" Lucy said immediately. "I would love to meet her."

"Me too," Tess chimed in. Donna and Alice nodded.

"All right. I will invite her," Tara smiled. Amy responded right away and said she would be right over. Tara felt a little nervous about everyone finally meeting her biological mother, but it was time.

 **Jack's Apartment**

"What do you think they're doing right now?" Bobby asked, setting his phone down after reading Tara's text about cookies. His stomach rumbled.

"Doing girl stuff," Myles replied, taking a sip of his beer. They were at Jack's place hanging out until Jack was allowed to show up at the shower.

"Braiding each other's hair," John laughed.

"Pillow fight," Charlie chimed in. Jack just shook his head.

"You guys all think that's what goes on when women are alone with each other," he joked. "You know what they really do, right?"

"What?" Bobby asked, worried.

"They talk about us!" Jack laughed.

"Oh boy," John sighed. "You're probably right."

"How come it's the women who get to open all the gifts?" Bobby asked.

"It's really bothering you, isn't it?" Jack asked.

"It just seems unfair is all," Bobby answered.

"When you get married, we'll throw you a party and you can do all the gift opening," D teased.

"Yea, when are you proposing to Tara?" Myles asked.

"Whoa, whoa, one wedding at a time here, boys," Bobby said, holding his hands up.

"No, I'm curious too," Jack said. "Do you think it'll go in that direction?"

"We're just dating right now," Bobby said. "Having fun. Living life. We haven't even had that conversation yet ourselves."

"Don't wait too long," D warned, smiling. He was glad that soon he wasn't going to be the only married guy on the team.

 **Sue & Jane**

"This is nice," Sue said, smiling at Jane. "We don't hang out like this often, just you and I."

"I know, right?" Jane replied. She sipped her coffee, waiting for her phone to vibrate. "How are you doing? You must be excited!"

"I am," Sue agreed. "A little nervous too."

"Your brother was on our wedding day too. I think he thought I was gonna chicken out," Jane winked, laughing. Levi looked up at the sound of her laugh. She rubbed his belly with her foot absently.

"I remember," Sue chuckled. "He needed another suit jacket cos he sweated right through the first one!" Jane felt her phone go off then, and she knew it was show time. She peeked at it anyway just to make sure.

"What do you say about a movie back at your place?" Jane asked. "John's out for the night, and Maddy's with friends. I haven't had a girl's night in a while."

"I think it sounds great," Sue replied.

 **Sue & Lucy's Apartment**

"Places everyone!" Lucy cried, excited. Jane was on her way. This was going to be great. Within moments, they heard Jane and Sue talking outside. When they came in, everyone jumped up and shouted surprise.

"Oh!" Sue exclaimed. She turned to look at Jane. "You were in on this, weren't you?"

"Absolutely," Jane winked. She ushered Sue in to her bride's chair that Lucy had decorated. Sue was blushing furiously now. She wasn't one for attention. Jane went over to hug Maddy.

"I'm very lightheaded," Maddy said, giggling. She had blown up about twenty balloons within fifteen minutes. It had to be some kind of record. Lucy took charge then, explaining how the games were going to work. Then the doorbell rang, making Levi rush towards Sue.

"Ah, ah!" Tara said, catching him. "I got this one, buddy." She went to answer and found Amy there.

"Sorry I'm late," Amy apologized. "I wasn't coming to a wedding shower empty-handed."

"Wow, how could you have possibly gotten anything at this hour?" Tara asked, surprised.

"It was in my closet actually," Amy admitted. "Don't rat me out."

"I won't," Tara promised, laughing. She led Amy into the living room and felt shy suddenly.

"This must be Amy," Donna said, breaking the ice.

"Everyone, this is my birth mom," Tara said. Amy curtsied.

"Very nice to meet you!" Lucy cried, pulling her into a hug. The others crowded around and introduced themselves. Then the party got started.

 **Later**

"There's my cue," Jack said, looking at his phone. It was about two hours later. He got up and grabbed his coat.

"Can we come too?" Bobby asked hopefully. "Tara mentioned cookies..."

"I don't see why not," John said. "Our ladies are all there."

"I'm just going to go home," Myles said. "Thanks though." Things were still awkward between him and Lucy since he started dating Jeanine. Bobby shared a look with Jack.

"You're missing out," Charlie shrugged. Within moments they were on their way over, and when they got there, Jack couldn't believe how generous his friends were. Bobby beelined for the snacks and began eating eagerly. Tara gave him a playful swat to indicate he had overlooked her, which he heartily made up for. D went to hug Donna, and Charlie sat beside Tess while John pulled Jane onto his lap. Maddy was sitting on the floor and rested her head against their legs. Alice and Amy were chatting in a corner.

"I can't thank all of you enough for everything that you've done," Sue said once everyone had settled down. "Jack and I are so lucky to have such wonderful friends in our lives."

"Hear hear!" Bobby called, raising his cookie in the air. Conversation ensued, and Jack managed to sneak in a kiss while no one was looking. They truly were blessed. Nothing could ruin this moment.

 **John & Jane**

"That was really nice," Jane said as they drove home. John reached over and patted her leg.

"It was. My sister is happier than I've ever seen her."

"She's teaching me how to sign," Maddy bragged.

"I could have done that," John said. "All you had to do was ask."

"It's cooler from her," Maddy replied.

"I'm glad you're bonding," John smiled.

"I think Charlie is excited to be a father," Jane noted. "Did you see the way he kept staring at Tess and touching her stomach every chance he got?"

"Yea, I did," John laughed. "I admit it's still strange to think about him being a father, but I know he'll be good at it."

"Do they know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" Maddy asked.

"Not yet. I think soon, though," Jane answered. They pulled into the driveway and parked. Maddy hopped out while Jane leaned over and stole a kiss from John.

"What was that for?" he asked teasingly.

"Just because," she answered, eyes twinkling.

"Oohh is tonight a Checkers night?" he asked.

"Perhaps," she said vaguely, getting out of the car. He hopped out and followed her.

"Good night!" Maddy called from the top of the stairs.

"I'm so glad she's better," Jane sighed.

"Me too," John said. "Now, make with the Checkers."

"John!" Jane squealed as he started tickling her.

 **Sue**

Sue helped Lucy clean up. She loved her friend dearly in that moment. She hoped one day she could return the wonderful gestures Lucy had been making for her.

"I can't thank you enough, Luce," Sue said, hugging her after they finished.

"It's my pleasure," Lucy smiled. "Now get some rest. You look tired."

"I am," Sue admitted. They exchanged good nights, and Sue went off to bed. She fell asleep dreaming about how in just eleven days she was going to be Mrs. Hudson.

* * *

 **I know it was short, but I noticed interest seemed to be dying off a little and wanted to give you guys a more fun chapter. I don't expect many more chapters left in this story just fyi. If you haven't checked it out already, give "Levi's Purpose" a chance. You might enjoy it ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**8 Days Before the Wedding**

"He's out!" D shouted. "Killer Kale! Come on, let's go!" Everyone leaped up and grabbed their gear. Tara slipped her headset on. She really hoped they would finally get this guy. Jack followed the others single file, and he hoped no one would get hurt. He knew Sue would know as John was also to get an alert for when this guy was on the loose. Bobby hopped into the driver's seat, and Jack jumped in beside him. Myles and D were in the other SUV. SWAT was going to meet them there.

"Do you think he's killed anyone yet?" Jack asked, worried. "Who called this in?"

"Restaurant owner. Said there was a gang hanging out in front of his place, and this oddly dressed person was walking towards them. He'd been watching the news. He knew who it was."

"I hope we're not too late," Jack muttered.

 **John & Charlie **

"Be careful out there," Jane's voice said into his ear.

"I'm always careful," John snorted.

"Remember that time in '05?"

"Okay, okay. Did you have to remind me?"

"Just checking to see you haven't completely forgotten," she laughed.

"Talk to you in a bit, babe," John said, hanging up. Charlie held on to the handle above the door.

"Who do you think this guy is?" he asked.

"Beats me," John shrugged. He flicked his sirens on, parting the traffic.

"Jack says they're almost there," Charlie read.

"Good. Maybe with all of us, this guy will surrender."

"What if he fights?"

"Then it's on."

 **Elsewhere**

He was already ahead of everyone. He was watching from his scope the altercation that was taking place. The Killer Kale was holding his own quite well, and Paul almost felt bad for what he was about to do. He adjusted his barrel, zooming in a little further. Joseph needed to be stopped. Those were Sal's orders. Sal had a lot of orders. Paul was beginning to wonder just what Sal was really all about, but he didn't want to be deemed rogue and ordered killed by some other poor guy. He'd do the job, and he'd do it well. He gently squeezed the trigger until his gun went off. Joseph the Killer Kale dropped like a stone. The other gang members were wildly looking around, trying to find the source. Paul smiled. They wouldn't find him because Paul was about a mile away. He quickly closed up shop. It was time to get out of there.

 **Bobby**

He hit the brakes hard when the man dropped.

"Sniper!" Jack shouted into the walkie talkies.

"What?" D's voice came through, shocked.

"He's down! He's down!" Jack yelled. He carefully got out of the SUV, scanning the rooftops. Bobby approached the fallen man carefully, checking for vitals.

"He's dead, Jack," he said, looking up at him. Jack lowered his gun. The other gang members were shouting amongst each other and pointing.

"Talk to them," Jack ordered Myles, who obliged. "See if they can figure out where the shot came from."

"What happened?" John asked, running up to them with Charlie on his heels.

"Dunno. We pulled in, and the man just dropped like a fly. Sniper," Bobby explained. John instantly looked around.

"You think he's still watching?" Jack asked.

"No. They'll be long gone," John answered.

"Bobby? What's happening?" Tara said in his ear.

"Someone beat us to the punch," Bobby told her. "The Killer Kale is a killer no more."

"So much for getting answers," Tara sighed.

"That's the way life usually goes," Bobby said. "I'll see you soon."

"Get the CSIs in here," Jack said to an officer. "We gotta figure out where that shot came from." He looked over at John, who was kneeling by the dead man and looking off into the distance.

"What do you see?" Jack asked, going over to him.

"I think it came from over there," John said. "The CSIs can tell us more."

"I agree with your conclusion," Jack said, shading his eyes with his hand.

"You were a sniper yourself, right?" John asked. Jack nodded.

"Wonder who else had a hit out for this guy," Jack mused.

"Hopefully we'll find out."

 **Sue & Jane **

"I'm worried," Jane said, setting down her headset. She looked over at Sue.

"Me too," Sue agreed. "How do we know this sniper won't come after us?"

"We don't. What bothers me is the fact that this sniper seemed to know what was going on."

"Like we've been tapped you mean?" Sue asked.

"Mmhmm," Jane nodded. She felt nauseous.

"What do we do?"

"I bring in a team to find bugs. If there are none, then it's not through us," Jane answered. Sue just nodded. She didn't know what else to say.

 **4 Days Before the Wedding**

"That shot was taken about a mile away," John said, slapping down the paperwork onto his desk. He had just received the ballistics report, and he couldn't deny that he was a little impressed, especially since it was within the city. Charlie looked at him.

"What?"

"Yup."

"That's skill."

"I know."

"Who are you thinking?"

"I need to go through my files first," John answered. "Let me get back to you." He sat down and opened his files on his computer. He started screening every single person on his list that he knew were snipers that were being followed currently. His gut, however, told him that he would not find the person on that list.

 **Tara**

"What were your adopted parents like?" Amy asked. They were having lunch again. Tara was warming up to Amy more and more, and she wasn't surprised when this question finally came up. She had been expecting it.

"They were lovely," Tara answered honestly. "Mom was a doctor, which was ironic since she didn't catch her own diagnosis until it was too late. Dad was an editor for a newspaper. They loved each other fiercely. I remember nights coming down for a glass of water, and they'd be slow dancing in the kitchen, and I remember thinking that I wanted to find love like that. Simple. Beautiful."

"They sound wonderful," Amy said. "I'm so sorry you lost her."

"I am too."

"You just lost your Dad too, right?"

"I did."

"Your mother was a doctor? Do you mind if I ask you her name? I was a nurse after all," Amy said.

"Her name was Grace Williams," Tara told her. Amy searched her memories, and she came upon one that startled her. Tara watched her carefully. She could see something was happening.

"She saved my life," Amy said carefully.

"What?"

"It was so long ago. There was a conference at my hospital, and your mother was needed for something specific, something only she could do, and at that time I was feeling very low about myself. I was thinking dark thoughts. She found me crying in the bathroom and talked to me. She actually listened to me. Then she told me about how whenever she was sad, her daughter would always climb into her lap..."

"And pat her cheeks and tell her it would all go away in the morning," Tara finished, whispering. Amy looked at her sadly.

"I went home and flushed my pills. I decided that eventually it would all go away," Amy finished. "Because if a little girl could believe it, then so could I."

Tara was speechless.

"I remember feeling horribly sad when I heard she had died so young. Oh, Tara. I'm so sorry."

"I'm glad you knew her," Tara said quietly. "She was someone who was always in your corner."

"She's the only other person besides my adopted mother and you who know what happened to me," Amy said softly.

"She suspected you had given me up for that reason," Tara said. "Do you think she knew you were my mother?"

"If she did, she never let on."

"Wow," Tara said. "I don't know what to say right now."

"Me either," Amy agreed. "Life is strange, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is."

...

Bobby was speechless after hearing Tara's story of Amy and Grace.

"How are you?" he asked finally.

"I don't know," Tara answered truthfully. "I'm finding it mind boggling that my two mothers knew each other, that my adopted mother stopped my birth mother from killing herself."

"Everything happens for a reason," Bobby smiled. He pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm glad I opened the door that day," Tara said, muffled by his arms.

"I'm glad you did too," Bobby replied.

 **2 Days Before the Wedding**

Jack was jiggling his legs uncontrollably. In two days, he was going to be married. Two days and he was a husband. Sue would be his wife. It all felt so surreal. He had to get out of the office. Sitting still was incredibly hard. He went out to get coffee for the group, and he could barely focus. He'd almost tripped once and banged into someone else a different time. His head was officially in the clouds. He wasn't paying attention when the door to the cafe opened and nearly bashed him in the nose.

"Sorry!" the guy coming out said.

"It's my bad," Jack laughed. Then the guy turned away, and Jack briefly thought he knew the guy from somewhere but shook it off. The guy would have said something if he knew him. He placed his order and paid and headed back to the bull pen.

 **Sue**

"Two more days!" Lucy squealed. "Are you nervous?"

"More excited, but yes, a little nervous," Sue said.

"I'm so happy for you," Lucy said, hugging her friend. "I will also miss you terribly."

"I'll miss you too," Sue smiled sadly. "But we will always be friends."

"I know. I just have to get used to living alone again," Lucy laughed. Sue squeezed her hand reassuringly. Her heart was fluttering rapidly. Two days and she was Mrs. Sue Hudson. Two days, she was a wife. Oh how wonderful life was.

* * *

 **One more chapter left! That's right, ONE! I hope I can make it memorable for you! Thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave a review :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here it is, the final chapter! I wanted to post it fairly quickly for you guys since you've been so patient with me. Please enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Day of the Wedding**

Levi hopped into bed with Sue and nudged her awake. Sue groaned. She wished she hadn't stayed up so late with Lucy. Levi, however, was persistent.

"I'm up, I'm up," she said, reaching to scratch his ears. Then it hit her what day it was. Her wedding day. She sat up straight, looking at the alarm clock. She hadn't overslept. Thank God. Her room was full of boxes from her packing over the last few weeks. She hadn't wanted to leave it all to the last minute, so she did small pieces at a time. Once they came back from their honeymoon, Jack would help her move it all to his place. As soon as she left her bedroom, Lucy bombarded her.

"It's the big day!" she said, clapping her hands. "Tara, Jane, and Tess will be here in two hours. We have a lot to do!"

"First thing's first, breakfast," Sue said. "I don't want to be that bride whose stomach is growling all day because she is too busy to eat."

"Right! Breakfast it is," Lucy agreed, hurrying to set the table. As Sue poured her cereal, she wondered what Jack was doing.

 **Jack**

He had barely slept. He was putting the finishing touches on his vows. They had to be perfect. His phone rang, and he ignored it. It rang a second time, and he leaned to see who it was. Just Bobby. He could wait. As he tried to concentrate, pen on paper, his phone rang a third time.

"What?" he said into his phone.

"Do you know that you're getting married today?" Bobby asked.

"Thanks, genius," Jack snorted. "Now leave me alone. I'm busy." He hung up before Bobby could reply. He wanted to get this done before he had to get ready.

 **John**

"You look so handsome," Jane said, smoothing his tuxedo with her hands to get the wrinkles out.

"I am what you made me," John teased. She swatted him.

"Your little sister is getting married," she said.

"I know. It's something Mom never thought she'd see."

"Never though I'd see what?" his mother asked, making him jump.

"Dad flossing," he answered, hoping she hadn't heard him completely.

"Oh I know! It's the darndest thing," she laughed, moving away.

"That was close," Jane giggled.

"Why are they here again?"

"Cos we have the room and Charlie didn't," Jane replied.

"Right."

"Hey, Dad, lookin' sharp," Maddy said, giving him the thumbs up. She had her camera in her other hand, getting ready for the ceremony.

"You don't look so bad yourself," he winked. She was decked out in a red, floor length halter top dress that hugged her a little more than John liked, but she did look all grown up in it.

"Okay, I gotta go," Jane said. "I'll see you up there." She gave him a kiss.

"Have fun!" he called after her. He looked in the mirror and tilted his head. He had all day to listen to his mother pick on his hair or the tattoo on the inside of his arm. He would take all the hits to make sure Sue had a stress free day. She deserved it.

 **Charlie**

"This baby is making my bladder uncomfortable," Tess complained. She was getting ready to head over to Sue and Lucy's to get ready. Charlie was still looking for his good dress shoes. He didn't think runners would be appropriate.

"I wish I could help," he said, his head buried in the closet.

"Okay, well, I'm off. Good thing this dress still fits me," she said. She patted his back as she passed. "I'll see you up there."

"Yup," he responded. Where were those shoes? Then suddenly, he stumbled across something he hadn't seen in a long time. It was a photo of the four of them when they were little, just before Sue lost her hearing. They were dressed up as Jedi and Darth Vader, which made Charlie laugh. He didn't feel a drowning sense of sadness overcome him, seeing it. He tucked it into his jacket pocket to give to Sue as her something old.

 **Bobby**

"What are we doing again?" Myles asked. He and Bobby were driving to where the ceremony was going to be held. Jack and Sue had gone with an outdoor theme at a private park in the end.

"We are making sure the flowers are there," Bobby answered.

"And if they're not?"

"I'm not really sure," Bobby admitted. "I guess we become the bearer of bad news?"

"Well, not much we can do about it," Myles laughed.

"Is Jeanine coming?"

"No, she had to work," Myles replied, looking out the window. Bobby decided to ask.

"What happened with you and Luce?"

"It just didn't work out. She doesn't trust me," Myles said.

"Have you given her a reason to trust you?"

"I thought I did, but I guess the old wound from before is still fresh," Myles shrugged.

"That's too bad," Bobby said, tapping the wheel.

"Yea," Myles nodded. He didn't add anything else. He didn't know what to say anyway. When they got to the park, they saw flowers exploding from everywhere.

"Thank God," Bobby said. "I really hate being the bearer of bad news." Myles just laughed.

 **Sue & Lucy's Apartment**

Levi stood outside Sue's bedroom door as she got dressed. She didn't want to risk him pawing at her dress to get her attention for something. Lucy, Tess, Jane, and Tara waited anxiously. They couldn't wait to see her come out.

"Can you believe this day is finally here?" Lucy said.

"I know. Time goes so fast! One day, twenty years from now, they're gonna go, 'Remember our wedding day?'" Jane said. "It feels that way for John and I."

"You haven't been married 20 years yet," Tess noted.

"Maybe not, but it feels like it sometimes," Jane laughed.

"I feel like Bobby is considering marriage," Tara piped in. Lucy whipped her head to look at her, surprised.

"Really?!" she asked.

"He doesn't talk about it or bring it up, but he looks at me sometimes with this look that feels like it says, 'Let's get married!'" Tara said.

"Is that something you would want?" Jane asked.

"I think so, yes. I mean, I love Bobby. I do. I don't know how to tell him I want to marry him," Tara said shyly.

"Oh my God!" Tess cried. "You gotta tell him!"

"I will. I'm waiting for a perfect moment," Tara smiled.

"I'm sure the opportunity will present itself soon," Lucy grinned. The door opened then, and all eyes were on Sue.

"Holy crap," Tess said, her jaw dropped. Jane opened and closed her mouth a few times, but no words came out. Lucy teared up, and Tara just stared.

"Is it that bad?" Sue asked, nervous. She tried to look down at herself.

"You...you look like an angel," Jane finally said.

"Really?" Sue blushed.

"Sue, it's beautiful," Tara said. "No, beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it. There are no words to describe it!"

"Jack is going to die on the spot," Lucy said, putting a hand to her cheek.

"I hope not," Sue said. "I kind of want to marry him today."

"You are stunning," Tess said.

"Thank you," Sue smiled. Lucy went over and gave her a hug. Then they stood in front of the mirror together. Sue took in the dress fully. It was a simple white flowing gown with a bodice that had beaded vines and flowers on it. Her straps were white lace, and her necklace was a teardrop style choker with white flowers as well coming to a V near the bodice.

"I just need help with the veil," Sue said.

"At your service," Lucy giggled. She retrieved it and began to hook it onto Sue's hair, which was curled into a bunch of ringlets and pinned at the top so that it was swooped looking on each side of her head.

"There you go," Lucy said, finishing. She stepped back, and Sue turned to face them all. They were all wearing royal blue halter top dresses that were form fitting but loose enough that they could walk properly.

"We have twenty minutes to get to the ceremony," Tara said, looking at the clock. "You ready?"

"Yes," Sue nodded. The ladies helped her get into Jane's SUV, and they headed off to get Sue married.

 **Jack**

He stood at the front with the minister and his best men. He was nervous. At least it wasn't raining. He could be thankful for that. His blue rose boutonniere was pinching his chest, but he ignored it. The seats were filling up with their guests. Only 50 people, which Jack was grateful for. Nice and small. He felt Bobby rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Glad to know I'm not the only one who's nervous," Jack teased.

"I'm not nervous. My feet are tired," he answered. "Where's Charlie?"

"What?" Jack asked, looking around. Indeed, Charlie was not there. He met John's eyes, who made an "I dunno" face back.

"Maybe he got cold feet," Myles suggested, trying to make a joke to lighten the mood.

"He'll be here," John said. God, he hoped so.

 **Charlie**

He was waiting for Jane's SUV to come into sight. He had to give Sue her something old before she went down the aisle. She had told him she had everything else, the borrowed was their mother's veil, the blue was Lucy's mascara, and the new was her necklace, but she didn't have something old.

"What are you doing?" Tess asked once they stopped and got out.

"Saving the day," Charlie answered. "Hey, Sue?" He caught her attention.

"What's wrong?" Sue asked, feeling afraid suddenly.

"I have your something old," Charlie said, handing her the photo. She took it and looked at it, eyes filling with tears.

"Oh, Charlie," she whispered. He hugged her tightly.

"He's here with us right now," he told her after. "I know it."

"I know it too," she nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Thank goodness for water proof mascara," Lucy joked. Sue nodded in agreement. She tucked the photo into her bouquet so it was out of sight but there.

"I gotta get there before they think I bailed," Charlie said. He gave Tess a peck on the lips quickly before dashing off.

"Where were you?" John asked. "You damn near gave Jack a heart attack. Was that the prank you've been planning?"

"Damn it, I forgot about the prank!" Charlie said.

"I for one am relieved about that," Jack chimed in.

"Next time," John winked. "You're not out of the woods yet."

"Great," Jack muttered to himself. He smiled, though. They were going to be his new brothers after all.

 **The Ceremony**

Sue's father took her arm, and they headed down the outdoor aisle after the bridesmaids and maid of honor. Sue's mother took Levi to sit with her so he wouldn't get excited and cause havoc. Sue caught Jack's face and knew he was blown away. She smiled at him, making him grin back. At the end of the aisle, her father kissed her cheek and handed her over to Jack. Sue knew he was tearing up, giving his little girl away. She saw her mother pat his hand when he sat down. The minister went on with the logistic piece of the ceremony. When it came to their personal vows, Jack got to go first.

"I never thought I'd be so lucky to have found my soulmate and best friend to spend the rest of my life with," he started. "I will spend forever making you happy, being by your side, and living through all the challenges and good times that are going to come our way. I can't wait to have children with you, grow old with you, and love you from here on out." There were sniffles in the crowd after this, which Jack tried to ignore so he wouldn't start crying himself.

"Jack, the moment I laid my eyes on you I knew we were going to find ourselves standing right here, right now," Sue said. "I have never felt so loved and so cherished as I do when I'm with you. You're my best friend, protector, and the love of my life. There is no one else I'd rather do this journey called life with than you. I believe we will get through anything, and I know at the end of the journey, we will have no regrets."

"Ah geez," Bobby murmured, wiping at his eye. Tara didn't bother hiding her wet eyes. Neither did any of the others.

"Do you, Jack Hudson, take Sue to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and health til death due you part?" the minister asked.

"I do," Jack said, sliding the ring onto Sue's finger.

"Do you, Sue Thomas, take Jack to be your lawfully wedded husband in sickness and health til death due you part?"

"I do," Sue smiled, putting the ring onto his finger. It got stuck at his knuckle. She panicked a little, pushing a bit harder. It wouldn't budge.

"Shove it hard," Jack said. She gave it a good shove, and it slid on. There was a murmur of laughter in the crowd. Even the minister had a smile on his face.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," he said. "You may kiss your bride." Jack leaned in and gave her the best kiss of her life. The crowd cheered and clapped. John wolf whistled. Then Sue and Jack headed back down the aisle, and each groomsman took the arm of their bridesmaid. When John got to Jane, he caught sight of something in the distance, and he frowned.

"What's wrong?" Jane whispered.

"Nothing," he shook his head. The figure in the distance disappeared as though it hadn't even been there to begin with. They joined the rest at the designated photography set. John kept his eyes out for any other figures, but he didn't see any more.

"You're distracted," Jane noted.

"I'm okay."

"Oh, Sue!" their mother cried, giving her a huge hug. "And my new son!" She crushed Jack in her arms.

"Welcome to the family," their father said, shaking Jack's hand vigorously.

"Yea, bro," Charlie said, nudging Jack. "You get to be stuck with us."

"He'll get used to it," John laughed.

"Okay, picture time!" the photographer called. He took photos of Jack and Sue together first before having them all in.

"You look gorgeous," Bobby murmured to Tara.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she winked. She touched his hand briefly. When Myles and Lucy were up for a photo together, he felt a little awkward.

"You look beautiful, Luce," he said finally.

"Thanks, Myles," she smiled at him.

"Smile!" Maddy called. She was taking her own photos as well as back ups. It was something she was really good at that Jane was trying to encourage her to enter some of her pictures to contests. After about half an hour, it was time to head to the reception, which was at a small local hall. Dinner went by quickly, and then the dancing began. Maddy snapped photos as her parents started dancing together. Before long, everyone was up and dancing.

"I think this is the best wedding I've ever been to," Tara said to Bobby as they swayed together.

"Yea?"

"Yea. Unless, you know, I ever have one," she said. Bobby almost laughed.

"You're thinking about it too, eh?"

"Aren't you? I mean, we've been dating for almost over a year now..."

"I've thought about it every day since we got together," Bobby admitted.

"Really?"

"Yea. I mean, when you're ready," he added.

"That might be in the not too distant future," Tara told him.

"Yea?"

"Yea."

"I look forward to it," he winked.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he replied, bending down to kiss her. Jack and Sue passed by them, giving them a smile.

"Can you believe it?" Jack asked Sue. She shook her head.

"It feels like a dream to be honest," she admitted. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and find myself alone."

"You'll never wake up alone again," Jack assured her. Sue rested her head onto his chest, feeling more happy than she'd ever been in her life.

"You okay?" Tess asked Charlie. They had stopped dancing and were sitting at the edge of the dance floor, watching.

"I miss him. He'd be up there doing some kind of joke or something," Charlie said.

"I'm sure wherever he is, he will be," she reassured him. They watched Maddy run around with D's kids chasing after her. They were attached to her still ever since the safe house. D and Donna were talking with Sue and Jack, giving their congratulations and hugs. Jane came to sit beside Tess and Charlie and was out of breath.

"Where's John?" Charlie asked.

"He's getting a beer," Jane answered. "Man, my feet are not used to dancing in heels anymore."

"I know, right?" Tess said.

"Guess our clubbing days are over," Jane joked. Charlie raised a brow at each of them.

"So much you don't know about us," Tess laughed.

"I can't picture you at a club," Charlie said.

"She was wild," Jane chimed in. Tess shoved her playfully.

"I was not," she corrected. "I just got really excited when my favorite songs came on." Charlie laughed out loud.

"They're so happy," Lucy said, joining them. "I'm so happy for them. I can't believe it finally happened!"

"Us either," Tess agreed. They watched the others conversing, dancing, and laughing with each other.

"This night will be forever in my mind," Tess sighed, resting her head on Charlie's shoulder. He took her hand in his.

"Until you have your baby," Jane pointed out. "That's one you don't forget ever."

"True," Tess nodded.

"I think Bobby and Tara are next," Lucy said. The others nodded.

"Seems that way," Jane agreed. She caught sight of John heading out of the hall.

"Where's he going?" Charlie asked.

"Dunno. Maybe to get something from the car," Jane shrugged. "Or the bathroom." Charlie just nodded. They didn't think anything more of it.

 **John**

John caught sight of the shape standing at the door of the hall, so he decided to go after it. It disappeared quickly, so he upped his pace. The shadow went around a corner just as he got into the hallway.

"Hey!" he called, racing after it. Footsteps pounding told him it was a real person, not his imagination, and he knew right away it was the same person from the park. He tried not to think about what this person's motive was. He was not going to let anyone ruin his sister's wedding. They were now on the street, and John was pumping hard to catch this guy. They ran down alleys and crashed through a convenience store. Finally, John had him cornered at a high fence. The figure stood there, not turning around.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" John asked. He wished he had his gun. He heard a sigh, and the figure slowly turned around, lowering his hood.

"Hi, John," he said. John felt like his world was spinning upside down out of control. His stomach wanted to vomit. He thought he was dreaming, but the figure before him was as solid as anything. Not a ghost.

"Billy..."

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Yes, a cliffhanger. Sorry, Evieerose! I'm a huge fan of cliffhangers. There will eventually be a third and final story. Maybe you already saw this coming, but that's okay. I've had it planned ever since the beginning of Deadly Games that Billy would be still alive. All will be revealed in the new story, which I believe I will be calling Dousing Flames (it may change). I have to tell you that during my wedding ceremony, the ring would not go over my husband's knuckle at first, which made everyone laugh, so I had to put that in here. I also semi described my own wedding dress ;) Thank you all for reading and sticking with me! I hope to start the final story of this trilogy soon. I want to finish a couple of my other 20 stories first haha. To continue getting your Sue Thomas fill, be sure to check out Levi's Purpose! You won't be disappointed!**


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